Lands Apart
by Sparty the Bold
Summary: Post OoT - Link is sent back to regain his lost time; his choices affect Hyrule's new future. As time passes, he must come to terms with what the gods have in store for him, but will he find solace in a certain mask...?
1. Prologue: After the Seal

**The Legend of Zelda: Lands Apart**

By Sparty

_**Author's Note:**_ _Okay, before I begin, I just want you guys who are about to read this to understand that this story is a rewrite. In 2003 I wrote a story called Away From Hyrule. It did pretty well in its own right, but I was very displeased with how the story turned out as a whole. Most of you reading this now probably never saw the original text, so it shouldn't matter much at this point._

_It starts from the end of Ocarina of Time and will go on until the beginning of Majora's Mask and even past that. I won't retell the tale of Termina, but, rather, I will only touch upon it. The story will really begin to pick up after the events of Majora's Mask, and the Fierce Deity's Mask will play an intricate role, as you will find out when it gets to that point._

_I sincerely hope you enjoy it._

_**Prologue: After the Seal**_

From their place high above the Kingdom of Hyrule, atop the towering peak of volcanic Death Mountain, the recently-appointed Sages could clearly see the lights of celebration spread throughout the land. Below them, Kakariko village was aglow with festivities, and Lon Lon Ranch mirrored the lights and music of the village from its place nestled in the heart of Hyrule Field, only a few miles to the west.

Zora's Domain had been recently thawed out, the Zoras released from their prison of ice within their home. Now they joyfully carried festive lanterns up and down the length of Zora's river, taking special pride in decorating the waters of Hyrule, from their domain where the river began in the east, to Lake Hylia in the southwest of Hyrule.

The Gorons of the mountain also took part in the merry-making, they being the loudest of them all as they rolled themselves down the slopes of Death Mountain, making all the ruckus of a small avalanche. They were drinking Hyrule's best mead and ales by the barrel-full down in the pastures of Lon Lon Ranch, and their dancing feet shook the ground as would a small earthquake. When the kegs were dry, the brewers from Castle Town simply brought out more; not even the unending pits that were the bellies of the mountain folk could stop these festivities.

Though apprehensive about the idea at first, the Hylians had invited the Gerudo women to participate in the celebration, and, to their surprise, many from the tribe of thieves and vagabonds had made an appearance. Those who had hailed the tyrant King Ganondorf, the man whose defeat was being celebrated that evening, as their leader broke the guise of their feigned loyalty the moment he was gone. Of course, many of the lithe and cunning women remained in their desert fortress that night, some still unsure of their neighbors the Hylians while others retained their years-long hatred for any who opposed Ganondorf. However, even if only a few Gerudo showed up, a spark had been kindled that would soon ignite the flames of a grand relationship. It seemed that peace was finally ushering forth in the land of Hyrule after the seven years of strife.

One of the aforementioned Gerudos, who was also the Sage of Spirit, was standing atop the highest peak of Death Mountain, and with her were four companions, all of them Sages, each having come from various backgrounds. Like any of her proud race of people she had fiery red hair, which was done in intricate braids and twisted into a fancy ponytail, and the vast amount of paraphernalia upon her—jewels and golden trinkets—told of rank and leadership within the Gerudo tribe. She shivered a bit, the night air atop the mountain nipping at her exposed tan skin, for her arms and shoulders were bare as was her midriff. The only things that were kept safe from the chill were her legs, insulated by thick desert pants.

A deep chuckle resounded behind her. She looked back and caught sight of Darunia, the leader of the Gorons of Death Mountain and Sage of Fire. He stood at an impressive nine feet and was almost just as wide. His wild silver hair stood out straight from his head in what resembled a lion's mane, and the smallest of the five companions sat upon his shoulders, giggling along with the Goron below her.

The small one perched on top of Darunia was named Saria, a Kokiri, and her origins lay among the forest children of the Great Deku Tree, guardian spirit of the Lost Woods and its surrounding forests. She wore a green turtle-neck sweater, which, the Gerudo realized, must be keeping her nice and warm in the chilly mountain air. The green on her didn't stop with just her clothing, for her hair was also a dark shade of that color. If one were to guess her age, the reply would usually be something akin to "ten years old" or "eleven". She was surprisingly much older than that. Her kind lived as long as the trees, and yet they never aged; they remained as children throughout their entire existence.

"Nabooru, you're not cold, are you?" asked Darunia in an amused tone to the Gerudo woman. It had been his idea in the first place to get away from the festivities for a bit, and he had picked the mountain top as the "perfect location". Perfect for a Goron, perhaps. The mountain air was thin and hardly retained any heat during the night.

"It's no different from the cold desert nights of the Haunted Wasteland," huffed Nabooru as she turned back to look out over Hyrule's forests and plains to survey the merry-making below.. "Besides, I wouldn't have agreed to come if I was scared of a little cold, would I?"

The older woman next to her, Impa of the tribe of the Sheikahs, who were an ancient order of Hylians sworn to protect Hyrule's royal family, grunted in amusement. She had her arms folded across her muscular chest and was wearing clothes that left her arms completely uncovered, though the cold air didn't seem to faze her as it had Nabooru. She reached up with one hand and stroked her chin, as if to ponder the recent events that had led up to this night.

The last of the group, a Zora princess, Ruto, placed her fists on her hips and looked from person to person, a large smile upon her pale blue face. As a member of Hyrule's water folk, she wore no clothing, but the cold didn't seem to affect her in the slightest, despite how exposed she was compared to Nabooru. "Who cares how chilly it is up here," she said brightly, "We just took part in making history, and it's all I can think about."

The Gerudo narrowed her eyes at Ruto. "Again, I'm not bothered by the cold."

Impa smirked. "Indeed. At any rate, being hailed as heroes by the country's citizens certainly has its perks, but I, for one, am glad to get away from it all, if even for a moment."

Darunia pounded on his bare rock-like chest with his immense fists. "My, doesn't it feel grand? We sealed away an evil force that had very nearly destroyed our homes and our people."

Saria laughed. "Everything will go back to normal now, and people who were enemies are now joining together as friends."

"That's right," agreed Ruto. "And we as Sages can stand as a sign to the people of Hyrule that each race can live in harmony with each other," she quickly glanced at the very different people standing around her, "even after the many years of struggle. This celebration is already marking the start of a beautiful new era."

"But we're missing the stars of the show," Nabooru reminded them. The Sages had been able to seal away an evil force, but it had been with the help of one very special Hylian boy and the princess of Hyrule. The Princess Zelda was also a Sage—their leader, to be exact—and had been instrumental in the sealing affair. "Link and Zelda...they haven't been seen since we did away with Ganondorf."

Impa glanced over to Nabooru with a hard look in her dark eyes. Nabooru caught sight of it and shivered again, this time the cold air being of no fault. The Sheikah answered the Gerudo's musings. "Where is Link, you ask? Zelda is saying her farewell to him as we speak."

"What?" exclaimed Saria, which caused Darunia to wince as she yelled in his ear. "What do you mean by that, Impa? Is Zelda going somewhere? Is Link leaving us? What's going on?"

Ruto looked worried. "What's happening, Impa? Why haven't you told us anything about this earlier?"

Impa lowered her head and frowned. "The Hero of Time...will be going on a journey of some finality...a journey through time, as per his title's namesake. This journey will take him out of our period of time."

Saria smacked her tiny hand on top of Darunia's round skull to direct his attention at her. "Did you know about this too?"

"Yes, child," was the Goron's hesitant answer.

"But why?" she cried. "He helped create this future for us! In fact, if it weren't for him, we would never have awoken as Sages, and this war would have never ended! It's not fair!"

"It has everything to do with fairness," replied Impa. "He was forced to become a man long before he was meant to. Realize that he was not prepared to wield the Master Sword at such a young age when he first drew it from its pedestal, so, as he entered the Sacred Realm, the sword sealed away his spirit, preparing him to awaken as the Hero of Time seven years later."

"So he's going to be a child again," muttered Nabooru, shaking her head. Her mind worked to process this information, the cold air completely forgotten by now. "He bypassed seven years of his life, so Zelda is giving that lost time back to him. Interesting." A thought suddenly occurred to her, and her eyes widened. "And...if _that's_ the case, it should already be seven years later from his return back to his original time. He should still be around, if I am correct." She let herself crack a grin. "He can join us in our celebrations after all."

Ruto's feelings of worry grew stronger, anxiety taking hold. "That doesn't sound right to me. I don't think that's the case or else Impa would not be so...grave." Impa was certainly weighed down by a certain knowledge of the situation, and the other Sages could sense it.

"Where's Link, Impa?" Saria asked meekly. "Where is he right now? He's grown up normally now, so he should be here, right?"

"Sadly, that cannot be the case," she explained heavily. "It has been decided to send him even further back than just to the point where he pulled out the Master Sword from within the Temple of Time."

"What?" they all exclaimed at once, except for Darunia, for he, like Impa, had been privy to the knowledge of Link's departure.

"Listen," Darunia rumbled softly, continuing from where Impa left off. "Link will grow up in a time of peace—a time where Ganondorf can be prevented from ever entering the Sacred Realm in the first place. In our world, Ganondorf _did_ enter the Sacred Realm, so the place that Link is being sent to will be a place we cannot go—for Link, our time will no longer exist, as he will no longer exist to us."

Impa spread her arms, gesturing as she spoke. "We will rebuild Hyrule and crown Zelda as our queen. Link, however, will help to build up an already prosperous kingdom, and he will work to maintain the peace there, whereas ours was destroyed by Ganondorf seven years earlier."

Saria was sobbing loudly, and Ruto seemed a little bleary eyed. Nabooru felt a knot form in her throat, but she turned away from the other Sages so they could not see her face. Though a Sage and among friends, she was a Gerudo and she worked hard to hide any weakness even from her companions. "So," wept Saria, "you're saying that...that Link...he's going to a better Hyrule?"

Impa nodded. "That is our hope for him. At least, that's essentially what we're trying to express. The choices he will make will greatly affect that time period and its outcome. I'm positive that he won't let what befell our land to occur in this other Hyrule, the one that he will now be a part of."

"His work is never done, is it?" said a new voice from behind Darunia. Everyone turned to see the person who had spoken.

"I'm afraid not, your highness," answered Impa to Zelda, heir to the throne of Hyrule. The princess had finished her task and was just arriving to the Sages' meeting place, surprising all except Impa at her sudden appearance. Nabooru shook her head...Zelda had learned much over the past seven years from Impa about how to act as a Sheikah and had even become a member of their tribe of shadows. Even dressed as she was in the garb of Hyrule's princess, that of a pink dress and a diadem upon her golden-haired head, her locks falling long about her shoulders, she was still stealthy enough to get the drop on the group even out of her Sheikah outfit.

"Zelda!" shouted Saria anger now in her small voice. "Why did you do it? You didn't have to send him back! Why?"

The Princess winced at the Kokiri's demanding tone. "It wasn't my choice to make, dear Saria."

"Whose was it?" It was Ruto that spoke this time.

"It was Rauru," answered Impa before Zelda could say another word, saving the young Hylian princess from any more undue stress. "He's the one who suggested it, for he received the directive straight from the Goddesses themselves."

"Huh, I was wondering about that man," Nabooru muttered, voicing her thoughts. She looked up at the other Sages, then stopped her eyes on Zelda. "So where is Rauru tonight? I, for one, haven't seen him since we departed the Temple of Light after we performed the sealing ceremony."

Zelda acknowledged the Gerudo Sage with a nod. "He remains within the Temple of Light to oversee the seal that we set upon Ganondorf. It hasn't even been a day since we placed it on him, so he is ensuring that it remains intact."

Impa continued to stroke her chin thoughtfully. "Yes, and Ganondorf still possesses the Triforce of Power; even we do not fully know the powers it has bestowed him. That piece could possibly be considered the most potent of the three, what with it being less subdued than Wisdom or Courage when it is put to use."

"Indeed," agreed Zelda. "Why, when the Hero of Time had thought him slain, the Gerudo King rose from the rubble of his castle, empowered by the relic of the Goddesses, to challenge the hero once more. It is because of this unpredictability that we must remain vigilant over the state of the seal over the Dark Realm."

"And the Temple of Light?" asked Ruto. "The Temple will fall to Ganondorf's Evil Realm, for it sits right in the middle of that darkened world."

"There is nothing we can do about it, except continue to perform our own individual duties," was Zelda's answer. "Rauru has dwelt a long time within the Temple of Light and as its guardian knows how to keep it from harm. We will leave him in the former Sacred Realm to keep watch over the seal and over the Temple of Light. I believe he has the will to succeed in this matter. As for ourselves, our tasks now are involved with the rebuilding of this kingdom."

"Even if it's without Link," added Nabooru wistfully. She remembered when she had first met Link, so many years ago. Back then he had been a brash young kid with the guts to stand against Ganondorf. Despite his age, she had been very impressed with him. Never had she expected for him to grow into such a handsome man; not only that, but the Hero of Time to boot. Now the man that had defeated the one she hated more than anything was gone...never to enter her life again.

Things would certainly be different without him. Empty, almost. She couldn't be mad at Zelda for what she had done, sending him away like that. But, if only she hadn't become a Sage...and if Link hadn't been sent back...if things were different, if it were a different time, a different place...

That knot in her throat hadn't shifted one bit. If anything, it had increased in size. The mountain air felt colder than ever.

The Sages remained on the mountaintop for some time after, silence reigning among them after the Sage of Spirit's words. They didn't depart until the fires of the festivities below burned out, early the next morning.

For many years after, the Hero of Time would be remembered for his heroic deeds in the Kingdom of Hyrule. Though he was gone, his memory remained in the land and was celebrated by many. Only a select few knew what had truly become of him. They knew that he lived on, but it was in a world very different from their own, and, yet, it was the same. But in that world, knowledge of his heroics and brave deeds was a thing of naught, for it was as if it had never happened.

Hero of Time was a name from a place to which he could never return.

_**Author's Note: **Thanks to Desteni, I was able to clean up the prologue a bit. Her keen eye in literature has helped make this look better, what with pointing out a few grammatical blunders and even offering advice on some of the wording that I used._


	2. Chapter 1: Beginning Anew

_**Chapter 1: Beginning Anew**_

The notes of the Song of Time lingered in his ears, and he imagined that he could still hear it, that slow melancholy tune that had the power to control the mystical elements of space and time. Link could still see her beautiful but sad face, the visage of Princess Zelda as she played upon the Ocarina of Time to send him and his fairy companion, Navi, on a journey back in time seven years.

"Why?" he had asked Zelda after she revealed her intentions to him.

"To set things right," had been her reply. "It was because of my youth that I acted so foolishly those seven years ago. Now you have a chance to change things for the better, to be present during those seven years for which you were asleep. I made the mistake; now I am fixing it."

Link couldn't help but notice the hurt evident upon her pretty features. He took a step towards her. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to. Let me stay. This land and this time may yet need me."

He could tell that she was torn between decisions. "I..." she began.

"Please," he pleaded. "This isn't right. It _can't_ be right. These years were bad, but we made them right again...how is erasing what I did going to help anything?"

She then explained to him that the Sages would keep the peace from then on, and that fate had something very different in store for the hero of the war against Ganondorf—the Goddesses needed him in a different time and in a different place.

"You will know what you must accomplish when you arrive at your destination," she told him. "Now, Link...give me the Ocarina of Time."

It was a sad occasion, for there was so much that he had accomplished. Now it was going to be done away with in an instant; one song later and he would be back in a Hyrule that was seven years in the past. He knew that Zelda would exist in the Hyrule he was returning to, but things would never be the same between them as they were now.

During the war against Ganondorf, Link had allied himself with a young man named Sheik who had claimed to be a Sheikah survivor. Unbeknown to Link was that Sheik was actually Zelda, a fact not revealed to him until just before his final face-off with Ganondorf, the King of Evil. This revelation had come as a shock to him, but it gave him great comfort to know that Zelda had been by his side for nearly the entire war, even if it was just in disguise. It was during that moment that Link truly knew he had grown fond of Zelda...so much in fact that he knew he had developed feelings for her. On the battlefield as he faced off against the demonic monster Ganon, a pig-like behemoth that Ganondorf had used the Triforce of Power to become, this fact had become even more evident to Link while the princess stood by his side, and he was more than certain that Zelda had felt the same way too.

But now...now these feelings would never fully blossom into love. All the trials that he and Zelda had faced together—it would be as if nothing had ever happened.

Yes, Princess Zelda would be there where he was going, but things would certainly be different this time.

The notes of the Song of Time faded out, and his senses became aware of a bright bluish light surrounding him and Navi, which carried them back to a time that they had already traversed. As the light faded away he could sense that he was in the Temple of Time, in the chamber that housed the Pedestal of Time, in which was lodged anew the Sword of Evil's Bane. Link stood facing the blade; it looked to him as if it had never been moved from its resting place. From within the chamber he could tell that it was midday, for the sun had risen high into the sky and was shining its bright rays through a window far above.

The only thing missing was the presence of Princess Zelda; the woman he had come to know was forever gone in a world to which that he could never return.

Navi flew out in front of Link's childish face and said, "Looks like it worked. This is definitely the Temple of Time seven years earlier."

Link let out a long sigh. He looked down at himself and could estimate that he was only four feet tall again, the height of a ten-year old Hylian boy. He was garbed in the traditional clothing of the Kokiri children, for it was among them that he had been raised; thus it was this clothing that he had first been wearing before he skipped ahead seven years to the future, an event that seemed so long ago. On his backside was slung the Kokiri sword that he had received while in the care of the Great Deku Tree, as well as his wooden Deku shield. Gone was the clothing that he had worn as an when older as well as the weapons that he had obtained while in adulthood. _Well, all but the Master Sword, _he told himself,_ but it's laid to rest in the Pedestal of Time now._

"Navi, what should I do now?" he asked her. Of course, he hadn't been sure what his first move would be when he got back, and he still hadn't thought of one. He looked now to his fairy partner for guidance, as he had countless times in the past since she had first come to him.

She bobbed around his head for a second before replying. "Oh...what?"

Link eyed her quizzically. She seemed a little spacey. "I was just wondering what I should be doing now."

"Right, right," she chirped. "Well, Ganondorf needs to be stopped from entering the Sacred Realm...again. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go see the Princess and discuss a new plan of action with her, one that won't open the Sacred Realm."

Link sighed. "And what if things _do_ happen the same again?"

Navi floated closer to Link's face. "They won't. I know you'll think of something."

He smirked at her. "You mean _we'll_ think of something."

"I..."

"And then we'll just beat Ganondorf all over again!" Link pounded a small fist into his other hand, palm open. He grinned devilishly at Navi. "You're right, we'll make this work somehow."

"I...Link..."

Link drew his small Kokiri sword and raised it in the air. "I may be small now (and you're even smaller, but that's normal) but as for Ganondorf...well, the bigger they are, the harder they fall, right?"

"Link! I have to tell you something!" Navi rose up into the air, shuddering as she beat her wings hard and yelled.

The urgency in her voice made Link stop what he was saying. He lowered his sword and raised an eyebrow. "What do you need to tell me, Navi?"

She was silent a moment, but then she dropped down to eye level and spoke to Link softly. "I'm sorry, Link. I can't...I...I should have told you sooner."

Link frowned at her. "You can't...you can't what? What is it that you should have told me?" Link couldn't be sure, but it seemed as if Navi was beginning to cry. "What's wrong, Navi?"

"Oh, Link, nothing's wrong. Everything is just as it's supposed to be. But...I'm really going to miss you."

"What?" he cried. "You're going to miss me? Navi, what are you talking about? We're partners...you're my _fairy partner_!"

"Link, you're a Hylian, not a Kokiri. Only the Kokiri have fairy partners, and though you were raised by them you were never meant to have one. My role was very different from the one that a fairy would traditionally serve; I was to aid you until you grew into a man, and then I would take my leave of you."

Link stared at her wide eyed. "Do I _look_ like a man to you right now?" She suddenly bopped him hard on the nose with a little fairy fist. "Ow!" he exclaimed, rubbing his tender nose.

"You know just as well as I do that you've done your fair share of growing up already!" she retorted. Then she sobered up a bit. "You're a man, Link, despite what appearances would suggest."

"Okay, okay, fine," he conceded. "But just when were you going to tell me this? I didn't know you were ever going to leave me. Where are you going? Can I come visit? Tell me, Navi." His breathing was becoming a bit more haggard.

"Link," she began, sobbing louder now, her hiccups sounding much like tiny popping bubbles. "It...it was too hard for me to bear, knowing that one day I would have to leave you. I...I'm so sorry. You have to believe me."

Link was beginning to cry too. "Navi...please, you don't have to go. Maybe...I have more growing up to do. Look, the adventure isn't over yet...there's more. There is, and you know it! You just...you can't leave! I...I already lost so much coming back here like this...don't you leave too."

"Oh, Link..."

First Zelda, now Navi...

"Link," she said, firmly this time. "I was your guide throughout your adventures, and now I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do for you. You've learned so much from me, but it's time for you to go your own way...as I will go mine." She nestled herself up to Link's neck and kissed him tenderly there. The tiny sensation left a warm feeling that spread all across his youthful face. "Goodbye, my hero. I will always remember you and love you, wherever you are."

She fluttered up and away from him. Link looked up while tears streamed down his reddened cheeks. She made for a high window where sunlight was spilling into the chamber, and as she approached it her bluish, glowing body and small, almost-transparent wings disappeared in the wash of the sun's rays.

"I...I love you too, Navi." Another piece of his story was gone—the story of the Hero of Time. No longer was he that hero. The Sages had never been awakened, and Ganondorf had not taken the Triforce of Power.

The Triforce...

Link gasped in surprise as he looked to his hand. Clearly displayed on the back of it was the mark of the Triforce of Courage. "Navi!" he cried out, and his childlike voice echoed throughout the temple's chamber. No reply. He tried again, but the result was the same. He looked back to his hand, and, sure enough, the golden triangular mark was still evident.

_This can't be right_, he thought to himself. _I can't still have the Triforce of Courage...can I?_ It didn't seem plausible to him. He was sent back to a time before Ganondorf had entered the Sacred Realm to claim the Triforce as his own. When Ganondorf had touched the sacred relic, it had split into three separate pieces with only the Triforce of Power staying with him. It was that piece that most reflected the desires of his heart, which was why it had remained with him. The other two pieces, Wisdom and Courage, had left the Sacred Realm to find those chosen by destiny to be their keepers. Seeing as Ganondorf's heart was unbalanced, having neither Wisdom nor Courage, they could not dwell with him in that moment.

However, at this point in time's flow, that event had not yet occurred, and Link was sure of that. Zelda had explained to him the time period that he would be returning to, that it would be the moment after he had initially left the Kokiri's forest.

_I have to see Zelda,_ he thought. _She will know the reason for the Triforce to still be residing within me, for if the Triforce of Courage no longer dwells in the Sacred Realm, then that would mean that the other two pieces may be gone as well._

Link turned away from the Master Sword and contemplated what he should do next. He then walked off the Pedestal of Time, mind racing. _Of all the times for Navi to leave, why did it have to be now when I need her the most? If anything, she could've explained this Triforce anomaly to me. But...Zelda. I _do_ need to see _her_._ _I'm sure she can set this mystery straight. _And then he realized something. He hadn't really thought of it before then, but the realization was like a ton of bricks falling onto him, and the truth of it hurt.

Zelda would not know him. It would be as if he were meeting with her for the first time ever, and she would have no idea of the events that had transpired with Link, the Sages, Ganondorf, and herself. _Maybe things will turn out similarly for her and me,_ he thought, and he recalled the connection that he had felt with Zelda during the war with Ganondorf. _Perhaps those feelings of affection will return to us, and then one day..._ He shook his head. He didn't want to give himself false hopes by wishing for something that may never occur. It ached him to think so, but this new reality was what fate had in store for him, so he would try his hardest to make the best of things. Perhaps events would transpire in such a way that things would turn out better than expected this time around.

Link found the door leading into the Master Sword's chamber mysteriously open, but as he walked through it the great stone sliding doors closed behind him to effectively seal off the way again. _Makes sense_, Link thought to himself. _The temple wouldn't leave a person stuck behind those doors with no way out. Though, to get back through, I would have to use the Spiritual Stones and the Ocarina of Time again. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that. _The thought of him taking up the Master Sword and being sealed away for another seven years caused a shiver to course its way down his small spine. With this second chance that Zelda had given him, he had no intention of repeating the mistakes of the past, of having to find the Spiritual Stones in order to preempt Ganondorf from entering the Sacred Realm. No, it wouldn't come to that this time. Link needed a new plan, and he needed to act fast. All the more reason for him to go and visit Zelda as soon as possible.

Despite his and Zelda's blunders those seven years earlier that had allowed Ganondorf access to the Sacred Realm, it had allowed him to fulfill an ancient prophecy of a hero that would come to rid the world of Ganondorf's wrongdoings.

All that had changed now. Events had not yet transpired to make him the Hero of Time in this era, nor did he believe they ever would. And yet...somehow he had the Triforce of Courage still within him. He could feel its heavenly powers flowing through him, augmenting his mind and strength as it had always done. He didn't even know he had the Triforce until Sheik—no, Zelda—had revealed it to him, but, as he reflected back on his many battles through the five Temples of Hyrule, trying to awaken the new Sages, he knew that it was the Triforce of Courage that had aided his quest on more than one occasion.

So if he had the Triforce of Courage, what of the other two pieces?

* * *

Impa, handmaid to the Princess Zelda, was walking with her charge through the Hyrule Castle gardens that day. She felt it was a place of calmness and relaxation, an environment conducive to Zelda's studies to become the future ruler of Hyrule. Here, Impa had many one-on-one sessions with the princess about history, politics, and, of course, the kingdom itself. Zelda was a quick learner and was taking in everything much quicker than her mother had when she had been subject to similar lessons. Zelda's mother, unfortunately, had died during childbirth, so the only mother figure that the current princess had ever known was Impa.

In the past, Impa had served Hyrule's Royal Family as one of their Shadow Folk, her family belonging to an ancient Hylian order known as the Sheikah. For the most part, she was proud of her service, but there were other things that had involved the Fierce War ten years earlier that she would rather wish to forget.

But the greatest bit of service she could have ever performed was the care and tutelage of the young princess. It set her mind at ease, knowing that she could help mold this young girl into someone that would make Hyrule's future bright, and perhaps it would be enough to overpower the darkness of the past war.

The Fierce War, otherwise known as the War of the Races, was an event that had ended with the current King of Hyrule, Ignacio Percius Hyrule II, successfully ushering in a time of peace among the Gorons, the Zora and the many factions that had broken out among the Hylians: the nobles, commoners, soldiers, and the Sheikah. Yes, the war had ended in peace, but there was still one race that would not give up their hatred for the Hylians: the Gerudo tribe. Led by Ganondorf, they were a group of villains and thieves, caring not for the well-being of the people they stole from. They lived out their days in the desert, far enough away from the kingdom that they weren't considered a true threat, but the fear of revenge still hung heavy in the air after the war—fear of the Gerudo King rallying up his forces for an assault against Hyrule.

Incredulously, this same man was now standing before Impa and the young princess in the castle's courtyard. Zelda knew the red-haired dark man in black armor had been an enemy to the citizens of Hyrule, so it always unnerved her to see him around the castle as of late.

Today, Impa had decided to wear her traditional Sheikah garb. It consisted of a silver form-fitting breastplate and a skin-tight leotard. On her lower back was a small sword placed strategically for easy access in case the princess was in danger. She had chosen this outfit for the very reason that she knew Ganondorf would be at the castle that day. She knew the rumors of the man's ruthlessness, and she wanted to be prepared for anything.

"Heh heh heh," chuckled the tall, dark man. "It's good to finally have a moment to meet you both. Impa of Kakariko, I presume?" He held out a gauntleted hand, thick fingers extended to receive a handshake.

Impa kept her hands to herself, which forced the man to retract his own. "I hope your travels were pleasant and your stay here is accommodating, as always," she said tersely, opting for pleasantries—words instead of contact with the man.

Ganondorf regarded his ignored hand for a moment, then he placed both hands behind his back. "Your king has been most gracious to me and my entourage as of late."

Impa eyed him with scrutiny. She felt the King was being a little _too _gracious to one such as this. "And the negotiations?"

His mouth slowly formed into a grin. "They are proceeding quite well. They haven't yet begun today, which is why I've decided on a stroll around the castle."

"Where's your armed escort?" blurted the princess, a look of antitrust in her blue eyes. Impa had tried to keep the young princess neutral on the whole "Ganondorf affair", as many people around the castle had come to call it, but she was intuitive, just like her mother had been. There was no hiding the true nature of a person from one of the bloodline of the Royal Family. If only the current king was so inclined, he might see through whatever underhanded farce the Gerudo King was cooking up. "My father told me that you are to be kept under close watch by the castle guards at all times." At least the King was smart enough for such a directive as that. Indeed, where were his guards?

Ganondorf gestured to the gardens all around him. "If it pleases her young majesty, the gardens of the castle are enclosed within its walls, and the guards make their rounds like a well-oiled machine. In fact, I believe I am being watched, even now." His word was fact; guards could be seen patrolling the grounds, consistently casting glances in the direction of the Gerudo King.

The Sheikah was not one to be placated so easily. "It is a show of trust that we even allowed you to come here in the first place," Impa reminded him.

"Of course. Your king wishes there to be peace with all the surrounding lands, and my people and I have come to terms with that. We, the Gerudo, also desire peace. The show of trust by your father," he said specifically to Zelda, "is to demonstrate to us that he truly means what he says. It's politics, but they are necessary if an entire country is to avert itself entirely from war." He looked back to Impa. "I have heard of your wisdom and skills in leading Kakariko, keeping the people content and industrious. Perhaps you will impart a portion of this wisdom with us in today's proceedings?"

Impa shook her head. Her words were not for the empty peace talks that would take place later that day. She had insisted she not attend the negotiations between the Gerudo and the Royal Family, keeping her true reasons to herself. But the King's heart was set on the matter. However unfortunate it was for her, she knew the King's word would win out over all, and his victory in Hyrule's Civil War would have already bought him the trust of many, causing them to feel the need to agree with his decision. "I must keep a close eye on my charge today. You understand, of course."

Ganondorf's dark eyes gleamed with comprehension. "With the clarity of a cloudless desert sky. I will let you return to your duties while I tour some more of the castle grounds. It's not every day I get to see something besides an endless sea of sand." He bowed, one hand in front of his chest, then walked away in the opposite direction.

Zelda released clenched fists. "Impa."

"Yes, princess?"

"Remember that dream I told you about? The one with the dark clouds?" Impa nodded as she remained staring intently after the departing Gerudo king. "Well, now I know what those clouds represent. Whenever he looks at me, the feeling those images from my dream gave me return in an instant."

Impa knelt down in front of Zelda and put her strong hands on her shoulders. Memories of Zelda's mother flooded Impa's mind, for though it had been years in the past, the princess' mother was also prone to such dreams, and Impa knew they were of the utmost importance to the Kingdom's well being. "Your highness, you must know that these dreams you have are not to be taken lightly."

"I know, Impa."

"You have the gift of prophecy, as did your mother. When your father wed her, she had a vision that same night, one that foreshadowed the coming war between the races of our land. Your dream is undoubtedly a vision similar to her own."

Zelda looked away from Impa for a moment, worry apparent in her childish features. "The dreams...they're coming more and more often. I think the boy will come soon."

"The boy in green; the one in your dream that cuts through the dark clouds." Impa stood. "Then, if it is as you say, I shall keep an eye out for him when he comes. There will be no stopping destiny, for it is my job as guardian of the Royal Family to facilitate the events to come."

"Thank you for believing me, Impa, even though my father will not. He's too caught up in the prospect of peaceful negotiations with that...thief! How can he trust Ganondorf not to do something terrible while in our kingdom? He's been here for only a short period of time and already the guards are becoming lax in their duties of keeping him under close watch. Does no one realize his evil nature?"

"Hmm," mused Impa. "That must mean that the negotiations are going even better than expected. I hear that today will bring a close to the peace talks, and that Ganondorf and the rest of the Gerudo will finally swear allegiance to your father's throne. Dignitaries from surrounding nations have been invited to witness this historic moment. After all, an oath such as this is Hyrule's history in the making."

"An oath means nothing to a thief and murderer like Ganondorf," the princess growled. "You and I both know that my dream is true. This boy...he is to be our hope, Impa."

"Then I have no reason to doubt your assertions, your highness." Zelda and Impa continued on, side by side, through the gardens. Somehow, the usually cheerful green of the courtyard seemed darker on this day, and it tempted Impa to fall deeper into her brooding than was normal. She could tell that her charge felt no less apprehensive.

_Dark clouds indeed..._

* * *

A small figure walked down the steps away from the Temple of Time, dwarfed by its majesty and height. Though the structure dwarfed him a thousand times over, he always felt at peace when near its inviting and calming inner sanctum—it even felt like it would envelope and keep him safe with its sheer gray walls if the laws of nature would only allow.

As he exited the temple, what met his eyes was something he had not seen for some time now, and it moved him greatly.

Link had almost forgotten how lively Hyrule Castle Town could be. Seven years later it had been turned to shambles; most buildings were burnt to the ground with only the living dead left to wander the empty streets. At that time, Hyrule Castle, situated just north of the bustling town, had been completely torn down, and in its place was built a towering fortress of dark stones, twisting spires, and demonic parapets. He could remember it like it was yesterday (technically, to him, it probably _had_ been just yesterday): Ganon's Castle, with its foreboding and grim architecture, had been erected as a physical manifestation of what the Evil King's heart reflected. Its most ominous feature was that the entire structure was somehow suspended without any apparent support directly over a wide pool of molten rock. He remembered what it was like to walk through the front door of that castle with Navi by his side, the sense of urgency he had felt as he scrambled up the main tower to reach the chamber where Ganondorf was keeping Zelda as his prisoner...it had all been to bait him, bring the Hero of Time to him...how horrible it would have been if the Evil King had succeeded and taken his and Zelda's pieces of the Triforce for himself that day.

Link breathed a sigh of relief. The changes that had been wrought upon this part of the kingdom were undone the moment Link was sent back in time. Hyrule Castle, tall, magnificent, and alabaster white, stood proudly to the north, seemingly untouched by time itself.

The kid brought his mind back to the present—he couldn't just sit there in the town's market admiring the castle from a distance—no, he actually needed to go there, and he hadn't a moment to spare if he could help it. The temple's steps brought him down into the midst of the town market, and during midday the place was at its busiest. The majority of the town consisted of Hylians, with only the occasional Goron and Zora coming from their respective domains to peddle their wares to their fellow citizens. Link could see one such Goron now. He was trying to interest those passing by in some of his homegrown explosives. The Gorons had a special crop called the Bomb Flower, and they converted them into fused bombs for Hylian demolition crews and miners.

Nobles and commoners alike were making their rounds in the street, which went to show how the market was a place of diversity, as well as Hylian culture, for the way the differing social classes interacted with each other on a daily basis here, as well as with foreigners and different races, attested to the peace that the King of Hyrule had attained only a decade before.

Link felt a knot form in his throat as he thought of the destruction that Ganondorf would inevitably cause this peaceful town if he wasn't stopped first. Yet another reason for him to visit Zelda at the moment: one, to discover why his Triforce had stayed with him, and, two, to come up with a plan to prevent Ganondorf from ever having his way with Hyrule again. The people of the kingdom deserved better, and he alone knew what had to be done to give it to them. He alone had knowledge of future events and how things would transpire if he did not act at this time. It was quite the burden for him to carry, and not even Navi was around to share it with him.

He walked to the pathway that led towards Hyrule Castle and passed the large fountain that stood as a centerpiece to the Town square. People milled about it, gossiping with one another about current events, or lovers embraced near it, framed by the waters that jumped and flowed over the marble carvings upon it. But one thing near it grabbed his attention like no other could; he could hear a little girl humming to herself. He looked towards the source and saw a familiar face.

"Malon?" he said in disbelief as he stared at the young redheaded girl wearing a little blue and white dress that one could describe as cute.

Malon was the daughter of Talon, the latter being the owner and proprietor of Lon Lon Ranch, which was a source of much of the region's livestock and dairy products. The quaint Ranch was located only a few miles south of Hyrule Castle and did well to symbolize the type of peace that Hyrule Kingdom could afford its citizens. Link remembered Malon very well, for he had saved her ranch from Ganondorf's clutches—that is, when he had been the Hero of Time, seven years in the future. As a way to pay him for his services, Malon had given him her prized horse Epona. The mare had served him as an invaluable asset and a good friend. According to what Malon had told him, he was the only other person besides herself that Epona had ever taken a liking to.

The girl turned her head to see who had just called her name. Link waved to her, but she looked confused. Link then realized that in this time period the young Malon had never met him before.

"Who are you?" she asked him when he drew near her. "Why are you wearing such funny clothes?"

He adjusted his hat, a little self-conscious of her sudden evaluation of his attire. At first, he was a little miffed that she would immediately focus on the clothes someone was wearing and even have the audacity to say something about, but he had to remind himself that little kids tended to be a little precocious. He wondered if he had been the same way...more than that, he wondered if he should _act _the same, seeing as he looked no older than the girl before him now.

"Hi, I'm Link," he finally said, composing himself and offering her his small right hand. She grabbed it and shook his hand firmly, after which she gave it a hard squeeze, a grin on her face the entire time. "Ow," cried Link, cringing as he pulled his hand quickly back. "What was that for?"

She giggled. "My dad tells me to give one good squeeze when shaking someone's hand because it lets them know that you mean business."

Link rubbed his sore hand and muttered, "Good thing I'm not a client."

Malon frowned. "Well, you won't get any milk with that kind of attitude, grasshopper."

"Grasshopper? Why did you...?"

"Why did I call you grasshopper? Because of your green clothes. You look like a little grasshopper in them. If you had a fairy to go with you, you would look just like one of the fairy children from the forest, but grasshopper will have to do."

Link scratched his head and recalled that "Fairy Boy" is what Malon had called him back when Navi was following him around. "How do you know about the fairy children?"

The little redhead put her hands on her tiny hips. Instead of answering him, she countered with a question of her own. "Well, mister, how do you know my name?"

She had him there. Quickly, he thought of a plausible reason. "Ah...er...because I thought I heard your dad calling for you. He shouted your name...well, my hunch was right! You _are_ Malon."

Her face brightened a bit at that. "Really? He called for me? That must mean he's done." She paused for a moment and looked around the market for any sign of her father. "Are you sure you heard him?"

Link thought a moment for another alibi. "I did, but it sounded like it was coming from the direction of the castle." _If my memory serves correctly, that's exactly where he went, _he thought to himself. _I can take Malon with me to look for her father at the castle while I try to find Zelda. Perfect! _"I can take you there, if you'd like," offered Link.

Malon pouted at him. "But...but my father told me to stay here until he was finished delivering the milk that the castle ordered." Her pout disappeared, replaced by a thoughtful look. "But you also say that you heard him calling for me." She gave him a large smile. "Yay! This means I get to go see the castle!" She began hopping up and down with joy. It looked like Link's plan would work after all.

He put a calming hand on her shoulder, which kept her from bouncing. "Yeah, we're going to the castle, but you have to follow my lead, okay?"

"Okay, I'll follow you, grasshopper."

"Just call me Link."

"Alright...Link the grasshopper." She couldn't help but giggle once more.

He rolled his eyes and led the girl towards the castle. _At least she's a lot more pleasant to be around when she's grown up,_ he thought to himself. _I had completely forgotten how obnoxious we __children could be sometimes. Though I look like a child again, I can't help but feel grown up still. I hope this doesn't drive me too crazy. _

Everything except for the way he thought had changed. He then wondered if Zelda would act as Malon, that is, childish and precocious, or if she would behave with a little more maturity. _Nah, she's a princess. She _has_ to be mature or Impa would let her have it, I'm sure. But...that aside, what if she doesn't know why I have my Triforce piece...maybe we won't be able to do anything about Ganondorf _because_ we're children...what were the Sages _thinking_ sending me back now?_

Even though these thoughts plagued his mind, what Link was truly worried about was the simple matter of just _seeing_ Zelda again. He missed her already, and not just any Zelda, but the one that he left behind in the future; it hurt him deeply to be parted from her. To him it had only been a short while since she had sent him back in time with the Ocarina of Time, but, with the years between then and now, it felt like they had been apart for an eternity. He hoped beyond hope that this younger Zelda and he would grow in friendship as they had before.

"Hey, Grasshopper, I thought _you_ were supposed to be leading _me_!" Malon yelled back at Link as he lagged behind, lost in his thoughts. Link rolled his eyes and jogged a little to catch up to her while she began to skip along beside him, sticking her tongue out at him with a smile on her freckled face. Link smirked then thought to do the same. His reaction caused the girl to narrow her eyes at him, but then a mischievous smile formed on her lips.

"Race you!" she said. Before Link could react, she took off at a quick pace down the stone path, which caused a couple of adults passing by to chuckle in the youngsters' direction. Link furrowed his brow and ran after her, not wishing to be outdone.

_Then again, some things about being a kid are just too fun to let go._

_**Author's Note:** In order for Link to have the horse Epona in Majora's Mask, it means that he has to at least meet Malon again. Plus, throwing her in gave us a unique look at the turmoil Link is feeling at being an adult trapped in a child's body. More on this later._


	3. Chapter 2: Demon, Prophecy, Legacy

_**Author's Note:** It's time to break out some of the original characters that I've created for this story. Also, I make mention of some countries in this chapter that you may have never heard of before, so I'll give a brief explanation for each one's origin._

_Calatia – This country is mentioned in Zelda 1 and 2 as the homeland of Link. Davin Sunrider also uses it as one of Hyrule's neighbors in his epic story, The Fourth Piece, and its sequel, The Secret War (they're both great fics, so you should definitely check them out if you like epic awesomeness for Zelda stories)._

_Rhydale – This one is original, made just for this story. It actually will play a larger role later on, for when I originally wrote this, it was in this country that the story began, five years following the events of Majora's Mask._

_Arkadia – In the old Zelda Cartoon there's an episode where a prince arrives from this country to woo Princess Zelda. It had a catchy name so I felt I could use it for my story._

_**Chapter 2: The Demon, the Prophecy, and the Legacy**_

Swords clashed together with the resonant sound of steel against steel. Triyu backpedaled then thrust at his adversary once more. He was using a standard longsword, not a fencing saber—that was his opponent's choice of weapon—thus speed was certainly not an advantage to the youth. His foe parried his attack, but Triyu used his deflected sword's weight and momentum to spin himself to the side of his adversary. This allowed him a moment to bring the flat edge of his blade against the other swordsman's back.

"Oof!" the fencer cried out as he stumbled forward a few steps.

"A valiant effort, but I believe the match is mine," announced Triyu jubilantly, a smug smile displayed clearly across his youthful face.

"Let's have another go at it, Triyu," challenged the other, sounding defiant though a bit disheartened at his loss. "You can't win every time."

The youth brought his sword up in a traditional Hylian swordsman's salute, which signified the acceptance of a challenge. "Then I shall be the one to teach you otherwise, Tev." Triyu's sword was specially made by the smiths of Hyrule Castle's court. He was told that they had learned their trade from the Gorons themselves, who were the first to bring the knowledge of smelting and crafting metals to the other races. His sword was a long, thin blade that extended almost three and a half feet from an expertly-crafted hilt. The crest of Hyrule's Royal Family, the mark of the Triforce, was engraved upon the flat of the blade close to the hilt, for it was a fashioned after the traditional swords of Hylian Nobles.

Triyu was of a slender build with short dark hair that fell just barely below his long pointed ears. Underneath his navy blue dress tunic he sported a fine coat of mail, worn only on days when he anticipated that he'd need to showcase his talents with the sword.

Tev growled out a response to Triyu's taunt. "I am the best swordsman in the court of Rhydale. I would advise you against mockery of my skills."

Triyu allowed himself a look of feigned surprise, and he bowed in mock reverence to his opponent. "Then I stand advised, O great swordsman of Rhydale. Though, before we commence, I would just like to ask when it is that you will show us these skills you speak of." That remark earned Triyu a smidgen of laughter from those standing nearby to witness the duel.

If there was one thing that people knew about the fifteen year-old Triyu, it was that his sword skills were unparalleled within the borders of Hyrule. Word of his prowess had reached as far as Rhydale and Calatia, and even Arkadia had heard something of a rumor. He was the son of a Hylian Noble named Ruhne, a man whose reputation was well-known in Hyrule.

Triyu's father was part of a select order of knights, known as the Hyrule Elite Guard, that personally protected King Ignacio himself. Ruhne had taught his son everything he could concerning swordplay and was now grooming him to become the youngest member of this elite order. The group had started during the land's civil war ten years earlier, during which many attempts had been made on Ignacio's life. As a result, the king established a group of men possessing uncanny fighting skills and an undying loyalty to protect him and his family. When the war was over he had never disbanded the group, finding their continued presence to be comforting.

Triyu was in line to carry on the proud tradition of the Elite Guard, and, as if to prove that he was worthy of such an honor, he displayed his sword skills whenever the occasion permitted it. The arrival of Nobles from foreign lands gave him the perfect opportunity to do just that, thus he challenged many who had just arrived to a friendly sparring match in the Hyrule Castle courtyard, just outside the main doors leading into the castle's great hall. Already he had defeated three swordsmen traveling with the group from Calatia, and now he was dueling Nobles from Rhydale. All who watched were amazed at his footwork and handling of such a long blade, considering his young age. The shorter blades that the Calatians used were no match for Triyu's double-edged longsword, and the sabers of Rhydale were certainly quick; however, swiftness of the sword mattered not to one as skilled as the young Hylian.

Tev fumed at the laughter that Triyu had stirred up in the crowd, and he shot angry glances at members from his cortège. The Rhydale Nobles shrugged in response to his reaction and continued to laugh even harder, for they knew it was doubtful that anyone would be able to best Triyu that day.

Tev shouted in anger and charged the young Hylian, saber extended. He slashed at Triyu's frame, but the skilled youth effortlessly dodged the attack then moved in with a swift kick to his opponent's stomach. Tev fell back a step, but came at Triyu again, this time spinning his entire body around for a more powerful slash. His saber met the steel of Triyu's longsword, which effectively blocked a blow that would have otherwise left a deep gash in the side of the Hylian's head. They disconnected their blades and Tev came in again, his lightweight saber allowing him a lot of freedom for movement and swift attacks. Triyu expertly sidestepped a thrust from the saber and in that instant moved forward to jut his sword's hilt into the Rhydale Noble's chest. Tev fell heavily to the ground from the blow, and his saber was knocked from his grasp by the impact, left to clatter noisily across the flagstone.

"Care to argue any longer," asked Triyu with a smile as he tapped the tip of his sword on Tev's heaving chest. He stepped forward and offered a hand to help the foreign Noble to his feet. Clapping ensued, and Tev, tired and defeated, humbled himself enough to allow Triyu to pull him up. The applause began to die down, but one figure remained clapping. Everyone turned to look at the dark man that had just appeared near the back of the crowd. From where he stood the youth could see that the black-armored man had a head of fiery red hair and dark-colored skin.

"Well done, Triyu," said Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo tribe. "Well done indeed. What an impressive display of ability." He stopped his clapping and folded his arms across his chest.

The youth beamed at the compliment. "It's thanks to my father's training," he stated. "So here we have today's guest of honor. All these people," he gesticulated around him, "have come from our neighboring countries to witness history in the making: the joining of your people with Hyrule's great legacy."

"And I am honored by their presence," he replied with a slick grin. "Who would have thought that your king would make this into such a grand occasion? It truly is quite the spectacle." He then unsheathed a thick-bladed sword that had been strapped to his leg and hefted it, pointing it at Triyu. "But I have a question for you, young knight."

Triyu realized that Ganondorf meant to challenge him. "You wish to duel as well?" he inquired.

The tall Gerudo chuckled. "I am going to be accepted as an ally to King Ignacio, so it's only fitting that I should prove I can hold my own against one of his best swordsman. Don't you think so?" The crowd parted and allowed Ganondorf to make his way to Ruhne's son. Triyu brandished his blade, the smooth steel of it gleaming brilliantly as it caught the sun's rays.

Ganondorf stepped up to Triyu and looked down at him. He quietly spoke so that only Triyu could hear. "You may be the best in Hyrule, but you've never before witnessed the desert's fury." Ganondorf struck first, which caught Triyu a bit off guard. He barely managed to bring his sword to bear, Ganondorf's blade striking hard against it. The attack had been quick and powerful, and it knocked Triyu to the ground. He scrambled back up just in time to intercept another attack. It was an overhead strike that came down swiftly, so placing his sword's hilt firmly in both hands, he held his sword aloft and stopped the blow. The force of it was so much that he nearly lost his footing again. People in the crowd who were watching began to murmur among themselves that the battle looked to be unfair, the Gerudo clearly being the stronger of the two, yet many of them were also very anxious to see how the up and coming swordsman would fare.

Triyu pushed Ganondorf off his sword and came in for an attack of his own, only to have it neatly and quickly blocked. Though Ganondorf's weapon most certainly weighed at least three times that of Triyu's, the Gerudo could handle it as if it weighed no more than a feather duster. It didn't help much that the youth was already tired from the consistent dueling of foreign dignitaries that day, and Ganondorf was proving to be more than his match in combat.

Triyu began pressing in on his opponent, hoping to see an opening somewhere that would give him the advantage. He watched Ganondorf's lightning-quick moves, focused on his techniques, and took note of his wide stance. He promptly took the last of his observations into consideration and deftly rolled between Ganondorf's wide-spread feet.

"Gah!" grunted the Gerudo as he began to turn to face the boy, now coming up behind him. He swung his heavy blade to his rear as he turned to face his foe, and brought the edge of his sword to rest right by Triyu's sharp, pointed ear. Triyu only smiled, for his own sword had been quickly brought up to point directly at one of the weak points in Ganondorf's black armor, right beneath his ribcage.

"A draw!" remarked Tev who was watching from the side now. "That's the closest anyone's ever come today."

Triyu held his sword in place and wiped a trickle of sweat from off his forehead. "If you wish to fight me, Ganondorf, remember to never underestimate me."

Just then a hush fell over the crowd. Everyone turned to see the double doors leading into the castle's Grand Audience Chamber swing slowly outwards and open. In the center of the arched entryway stood a regal figure, grandly and majestically garbed. He was clothed in his king's robes, deep velvety red with a white trim, and had blond hair with gray streaks beginning to show in it, which hung clear down to his shoulders. To accompany his long graying hair, he had grown a thick mustache and beard, trimmed to short length. There was also a crown forged of pure gold placed upon his head, and it bore the crest of the royal family, the Triforce, which was engraved boldly onto its front.

To his right stood a tall, middle-aged Hylian with short dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard of his own. On his face were the scars of battle, and on his back was slung a sword that looked exactly like Triyu's, though the handle was a little more worn. He was clothed in a dark blue tunic that bore the seal of the Royal family on its front, and he was geared as one going to battle, wearing thick leather boots, chain mail under his tunic, and studded leather gauntlets.

This was Ruhne, personal guard to the king and father of Triyu. He held up his gauntleted hands and spoke to the gathering in the castle courtyard. "Ladies and gentlemen, citizens and visitors of Hyrule! I present to you Ignacio Percius Hyrule II, King of Hyrule!" The group of men and women began to applaud the presence of the king—all except Triyu and Ganondorf, who were still locked in place, neither wanting to remove their sword's position. As the king was cheered and applauded, they both slowly retracted themselves from the standstill and placed their weapons back in their scabbards.

The King raised then lowered his arms, signaling for the applause to die down. "Welcome to Hyrule Castle," boomed his voice. The attention of all was captivated by his commanding tone. "Today is the dawning of a new age. It rightly marks the start of a new look upon the relations of all our kingdoms.

"As you all know, I have been striving for peace among the surrounding lands. I have petitioned your kings and leaders for alliances and treaties, and we have very nearly reached our goal. Only one kingdom remains: the Gerudo people of the western desert.

"Ten years ago a mighty war broke out in our land. Many a soul was lost on all sides during the ensuing battles, but the end result was peace—peace with all except the Gerudo tribe. However, all that has changed, and the hostilities between our two great nations will finally come to a halt.

"Today will be the last of our peace negotiations with Ganondorf, King of the Gerudos. All present are invited to attend within the Grand Audience Chamber of the castle. We will commence this historic moment in exactly one hour. Following the proceedings will be a short recess, during which Hyrule's best chefs will prepare for us a fine banquet in order to celebrate our newest ally and friend."

Cheering and applause erupted from the crowd at the end of his speech. Clapping, Triyu leaned towards Ganondorf. "Perhaps having you around more often will do me some good; training with you will hone my sword skills even further."

"Heh," sneered Ganondorf. "Perhaps I will humor you again with another match someday, kid, but I'm a busy man. Don't get your hopes up if it doesn't happen." The Gerudo's tone was ominous and serious, betraying the light words that came from his mouth. Triyu shivered slightly, a little intimidated by not being able to fully comprehend Ganondorf's cryptic words. He finally decided that it was nothing to worry himself with and moved his worry aside to instead focus on the events surrounding him.

The king began walking down the steps that led to the courtyard from the castle's entryway. Ruhne followed close behind him then perked his head up when he spotted his son among the group of people. Triyu noticed his father looking at him and left Ganondorf's side, meeting Ruhne on the flagstone path leading up to the castle doors.

"Father, you missed my greatest duel ever!" said Triyu excitedly.

Ruhne laughed heartily. "Well, now, it's good to see you too, son. A duel, you say?"

"With Ganondorf. He challenged me just before you and the king came out of the castle."

Ruhne's eyes gained a hard look and he focused his gaze on his son. "With the Gerudo King Ganondorf, you say? Why would you accept such a challenge?"

Triyu's smile faded. "You would have done the same, father. You never back down from a fight. Besides, it's not like I ever fight to the death with my opponents. It's merely a test of mettle and skill, and I want to prove to all that I have both."

"Well, you don't have to prove it to everyone. I for one know that you have what it takes to be one of the best swordsmen that ever lived, and that's all that should matter to you. Your impulsiveness cause me to worry sometimes, my son."

"You know I only wish to make you proud."

"And you do. I just can't believe that you fought with Ganondorf, of all people. I know that he is becoming an ally to our country, but you must understand that this man has a black history. Whatever his intentions may be now, we can only trust that he wants peace too, but that is it. I fear that he still has the soul of a ruthless killer."

"How can you know of such things?"

Ruhne looked intently at his son, who for all the world looked to be a younger version of himself. Once upon a time, he had been as Triyu was now, seeing things for the first time with childlike eyes. One day, he would understand much more of the world around him. "My son," spoke Triyu's battle-scarred father, "I am a warrior. I have fought in numerous battles, and because of my experiences I know the look of a killer when I see one. Ganondorf's eyes still carry with them the flames of battle. He has not forgotten his defeat ten years ago. Even though he will swear his loyalty to our king today, the grudge he has held for so long is still there, and I can't help but think that it may be driving him to some unknown desire."

Triyu gave his father a look of confusion. "If you have these feelings of dread around this man, why make peace with him? Why not just imprison him before he acts on this grudge of his?"

His father showed a weary smile. "That is where we enter the realm of politics, a place in which the men of our family have no foothold. We are warriors by nature, skilled with the sword and in the art of fighting. Our king is the one who must handle the politics of our country, and peace with Ganondorf seems the most reasonable path for us. I've placed my trust in the decisions of our king, and I hope you would do the same, son."

Triyu inclined his head. "I do, father. I trust our king. That is why I do not fear a simple sparring match with the Gerudo King; our king has put his trust in Ganondorf, so shall I emulate his example."

Ruhne placed his hands on his son's shoulders. "It brings me joy to see that you are becoming capable to make your own decisions—it is the sign of a boy becoming a man—but I also warn you to not throw caution into the wind. Be mindful of those around you, and you may uncover the true intentions of many."

"I will remember that, father," answered Triyu.

The two began to walk together amongst the throng of people in the courtyard. Ruhne turned slightly to his son and belatedly asked, "So who won the match?"

* * *

_It was a draw. _Ganondorf had begun to ponder upon the duel with the boy and was trying his hardest to suppress his anger. _A mere boy, almost defeat me? How laughable is that? Not only that, but he considers me as mere practice! If only I had used my powers, I...well, it would never have come to that here anyway. I should not let this worry me so, for soon my plans and ambitions will come to fruition, and I will have the kingdom of Hyrule bowing down to me. I will dispose of certain people and enslave the rest. With the power that I plan on obtaining, nothing and no one will stand in my way. _He looked over to Ruhne and his son. They were walking around the courtyard together as they shared their lives with one another. _Yes, perhaps I will face that boy in combat once more, but when I do, I won't hold anything back._

"We sure have accomplished a great deal these past few weeks, haven't we?" The voice of Ignacio II brought Ganondorf out of his silent musings. The Gerudo King put a smile upon his scowling face, turned towards the King of Hyrule, and greeted him with a convincing bow. Ignacio had a genuine look of joy upon his bearded face. "This is more than I could have ever hoped for, Ganondorf. I owe a great deal of thanks to you. Now all the countries surrounding Hyrule will be at peace with one another, and our people will be able to come and go as they please without consequence nor oppression."

Ganondorf gave a sly grin, but Ignacio seemed to pay it no mind. "I fully understand the need for peace. I may have been...uncompromising in the past, but I now realize that a true end to all hostilities is something that any ruler should strive for. Many of my own people have wished for nothing less than free passage through your beautiful country, and I'm more than happy to make their wishes a reality."

Ignacio nodded, then his face took on a more serious tone. "Ganondorf, I need to know something." The Gerudo King held his breath, noticing the sudden change in the Hylian King's demeanor. "Have you heard what people have been saying about you?"

_Ah, _thought Ganondorf._ The King intends to gossip with me. Another show of trust, another step towards his eventual undoing by my own hand._ Ganondorf cleared his throat. "Concerning what, your grace?"

"Apparently many have noticed you riding swiftly over the plains of Hyrule field, rushing off to all corners of the country. They say that you're searching for something."

The rumors were indeed true. He was definitely searching for something—treasures of the Royal Family in fact. "My good king, if I am searching for something, then let it be known that it is only to seek out the wonders of your kingdom, to survey the beautiful lands that you rule over. My entire life I have dwelt in the deserts of the Gerudo Desert and the Haunted Wasteland; therefore, it is impossible for me to not be in awe of such a wonderful kingdom as this."

Ignacio allowed himself a smile. "That is essentially what I tell anyone who speaks to me of this rumor. But you must know that it has come to the point where there is talk of ill deeds performed by you. Of course, there is no hard evidence, but I need to know what your true motives are at all times while you are in my kingdom."

"I understand, your majesty. And of your concerns, I believe I can explain. Apparently many citizens of your kingdom still harbor ill will towards the Gerudo for the hostilities that we have shown them over the past ten years. Some even intend to incriminate me by fabricating tall tales."

Ignacio shook his head. "It's hard to imagine why anyone would do that, seeing as I've told the people that the Gerudo tribe has finally gained our trust. I did, however, consider the possibility that there are some who still harbor resentment towards you and your people. I wish there was something more I could do."

"Do not blame yourself for the ignorance of a few. People will believe what they want to, even when presented with the cold hard facts." _Just as you believe that I am now loyal to you, _thought Ganondorf in contrast to what he was saying. _You choose to believe this even when others tell you not to trust me. For one who is hailed as a wise king, it's a shame to find that you are yet naïve. Even your own daughter seems to see me for who I truly am, and she is a mere child. No one will be able to convince you of my true intentions, not in a hundred years, you fool._

The King of Hyrule remained oblivious to the Gerudo's ruminations. His majesty's attention was suddenly drawn to a group of foreign officials who desired to speak to him. "Excuse me," he said to Ganondorf. "We can speak more during the banquet tonight. I hope you like venison; our very best hunters, with my personal guard Ruhne as their guide, tracked and killed only the finest for tonight."

Ganondorf said in reply, "I am most gracious. I would extend the offer to you, would you ever consider visiting my own homeland, but I'm afraid all that is available is leever; not quite as succulant as venison." _More likely I would simply feed _you_ to the leevers._

The Hylian king chuckled once and patted the Gerudo's shoulder in a comradely fashion. With that the Royal was off, making his way to speak with a few Nobles from Calatia, Hyrule's closest neighboring country.

Ganondorf remained pensive as he watched Ignacio II saunter over to the Calatians, stopping to make idle chat with them about the affairs of their two kingdoms. _Perhaps when my conquest of Hyrule is complete I'll expand out to Calatia as well, and, after that, _his gaze wandered over to Tev and his group of dignitaries, _Rhydale as well. _A third group of guests, dressed in extravagant velvet vests and silk shirts, with a wide variety of pastel-colored tights, caught his devilish eye. _I also hear that the Arkadians have the most amazing mountains...with a kingdom such as theirs I would build a citadel atop the highest rocky peak to survey all that I own and rule over. With the power of the Royal Family's most sacred treasure, the Triforce, this and more will become possible. But first, I need to get those three stones...and then that ocarina. _

The Gerudo king let himself crack an evil grin. _Yes, the Ocarina of Time. I have searched the castle high and low, but have found nothing. Someone must be keeping it with them at all times...but who? Not Ignacio, no, I would have known by now with all the time I've spent with him these last few weeks. Could it be Impa, Zelda's Sheikah guardian? No, it has to be a member of the Royal Family. Then, maybe...the princess herself? Quite possibly. Her youth and innocence would be the perfect thing to hide such a precious relic behind._

_If it really is Zelda, then that means retrieving the ocarina just became very difficult. Young as she is, I know that the women of her line are wise beyond their years. She suspects me of treachery, so she will be wary of my every move. I must keep my eyes open for the perfect opportunity...yes, it will definitely present itself if I am patient enough._

* * *

Link was more than a little flustered by young Malon's company. No matter what, he could not get her to stop calling him "grasshopper". In his alternate past, she had called him "fairy boy" and, for some reason, it actually hadn't bothered him as much (though it had still been somewhat annoying). But the more he asked her to quit, the more she persisted. Kids were the devil.

Link was about to tell her to knock it off for what seemed to him to be the hundredth time when he heard a rustling sound from overhead. "Shhh, did you hear that?" Link asked Malon, looking upwards. She followed his gaze, then smiled.

"It's a big birdie!" she exclaimed with glee. "That's the biggest owl I've ever seen."

"Well, if it isn't Kaepora Gaebora!" shouted Link, recognizing the humongous brown owl sitting atop a tree on the side of the road. Before, when Link had gone on his quest for the three Spiritual Stones, this same bird had appeared to him often in order to give him advice. Sometimes, Kaepora Gaebora had decided to help out a bit and allowed Link to ride in his giant talons to deliver him swiftly to his next destination.

Link still wasn't sure what manner of being the owl was. He had once asked Zelda—at the moment in disguise as Sheik in order for her to better evade Ganondorf seven years in the future—if she knew anything about the mysterious bird. She had related to him that some rumored the owl to be the reincarnation of an ancient sage, or that the spirit of one of Hyrule's old kings had possessed the massive owl. One rumor even claimed that it was the first king himself, Gustaf Vance Hyrule, come to watch and survey the land that he had lovingly ruled over in the early days of the kingdom.

"Ho ho ho hoot!" laughed the bird. "I'm surprised you pronounced my name correctly, and, what's more, you remembered it! You're a quick one, you are."

Malon squealed with delight. "Oooh! It can talk! How come my cuccos can't talk? They're birds too, but all they do is cluck cluck cluck all day long, grasshopper."

"Hoo hoo hoot!" laughed Kaepora at Malon. "She has a point, I'd say. She's just as sharp as you, Link. Perhaps you should keep her around."

Link winced at the thought of the young redhead trailing him wherever he went on his adventures. The idea nearly gave him a headache. If only she were seven years older... "Actually, we were just on our way to the castle to find her dad, and I have some business with Princess Zelda."

"Hrrrmm." The owl sat there for moment, twisted his large head from side to side, then turned it upside down, an odd trait of his that always managed to creep Link out a bit. Malon, not the least bit perturbed, giggled at the owl's antics. "Well," spoke up Kaepora again, "the grounds just outside the castle gate are being patrolled heavily by guards right now, so I doubt you and your friend would be able to squeeze past them very easily."

"We don't really have a choice. But I've sneaked past these guards before—I'm pretty sure it'll be a piece of cake for me again."

Kaepora turned his head back in it's upright position and stretched it out as far as it would go, his skinny featherless neck revealed underneath. "You've...done this before? When? How? Hoo hoot!"

Link then realized that he was going to confuse everyone if he kept talking about things he had done that hadn't occurred yet in this time. "Kaepora, I have a lot that I need to explain to...well...to everyone. But, really, I should talk to Zelda first."

"Hoot! But of course! It is your destiny after all. She has been awaiting your arrival for some time now."

Link looked at the bird and smiled knowingly. He knew that he needed to tell of his past as the Hero of Time, how he had fought Ganondorf in the future and saved the fate of Hyrule. Though, how he was going to go about it was an entirely different matter. More importantly, he needed to relate his story to Zelda, and maybe...just maybe she would believe him.

An idea suddenly sprang to mind, and his eyes came to rest on the large talons beneath the giant owl. "Hey, Kaepora."

"Yes, young one?" he answered.

"What do you say to carrying us past the guards?"

Malon's face suddenly lit up. "A ride in the air with the birdie? Seriously? Grasshopper, this is the best day of my life! First the castle, then the birdie, and now we're going to fly? Yay!" She began hopping up and down for joy as she had earlier when Link had suggested she come with him to the castle. Link looked from Malon and back to the owl and simply shrugged.

"Hoo hoo hoot! An owl carrying two children over to the castle? Don't you think that's a bit...conspicuous?"

Link shook his head. "We've already got her thinking that she's going to fly now," he said, gesturing to the ecstatic little redhead. "C'mon, I know you can do it. Besides, let's not crush the girl by telling her that you won't take her for a quick ride." _Am I seriously trying to give this bird a guild trip? Yes, and I'm enjoying it very much._

Kaepora began flapping his immense wings and slowly descended from the top of the tree. "Ho ho hoo hoo hoot! Oh, alright, but hurry. Let me gather you up in my talons before I change my mind, you two." He hovered a few feet off the ground, during which the children ran to his outstretched talons. He grabbed Link's torso in one and Malon's in the other, then rose with them high above the road in a matter of seconds.

"Oooh!" yelled Malon, extremely excited. "The castle looks even prettier from up here." A few seconds later they were directly over Hyrule Castle, and Link could see the grounds below very clearly.

"What's going on down there?" he asked the owl above him.

"Right now?" hooted Kaepora. "Today are the final peace negotiations between the King of Hyrule and Ganondorf. Nobles and dignitaries from Hyrule and the bordering nations have come to witness the event."

"Looks like I'm going to have to crash the party," said Link.

"I thought you needed to see the princess," countered Malon. "Besides, we need to find my dad first."

"Yes," agreed Kaepora. "The princess is your priority, Link. There is a destiny waiting for you there, one that you must fulfill...for Hyrule's sake."

Link nodded and, a little annoyed, said, "I know, I know." He scanned the castle grounds and noticed a figure lying down by some wooden crates near the castle's side-entrance. "Hey, Malon, I think I see your dad."

"Oh, yay!" she cheered, but then she hesitated and glared down at her father below. They were descending towards him now, and Malon could clearly see that not only was he was lying down, but he was also fast asleep. "Are you _kidding me?_" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Whu...what in tarnation?" exclaimed Talon, her father, as he awoke to the loud voice of his young daughter.

Kaepora set Malon on the ground, and she immediately ran over to her dad, stood before him, and placed her fists on her hips. "Sleeping? Really? Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to come back, dad?"

Talon rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and let out a big, loud yawn. "I'm...I'm sorry, hon," he apologized. "I reckon I lost track o' time, an' I fell asleep after I delivered these crates."

"Ooooh, you are so going to get it when we get back to the ranch," she fumed. She grabbed him by his blue overalls and began to drag him back down the path towards town. She then looked back at Link and Kaepora and gave them both a big smile. "It was nice to meet you, grasshopper," she said pleasantly, quite the opposite tone than what she was using with her lazy father. "And thank you for helping me find my dad, birdie. Good luck with the princess, and don't forget to stop by and see me at Lon Lon Ranch sometime." With those as her parting words, she turned back around and returned to scolding her father as they walked away.

Link looked back up to Kaepora Gaebora, and the owl was shaking with laughter. "Hoo hoo hoo ho hoot! As I said before, Link, she is definitely a keeper." The owl continued laughing, and Link couldn't help but chuckle a little as well.

"Ugh! Maybe if she were to stop calling me grasshopper, then perhaps I'd be able to stand her a bit better."

"Maybe in a few years, your mind will have changed," suggested the owl. "But for now, I must take my leave of you and Navi..." The owl stopped in mid-sentence, and Link shuffled his feet nervously at the sudden realization that the large animal had made. "Navi!" exclaimed Kaepora; the fairy that he had seen with Link before was now missing. "This...this isn't right! Part of Princess Zelda's prophecy is that you will appear to her with a fairy by your side. Link, where is your fairy? You can't go and see the princess without her. As the Goddesses' oracle and the guide to your destiny, I cannot allow you to go any further until we've sorted this out."

Oracle of the Goddesses? Who exactly was this bird, and why exactly would he try to keep Link from trying to see the Princess if he didn't have a fairy partner? Link brought his hands up, coming to realize for the first time ever the role that Kaepora had come to play in his life. "Whoa, whoa! So _that's_ what you are? An oracle? A guide to my destiny? Look, Kaepora, I appreciate all you've done for me. You're really a huge help, but, regardless of whether or not Navi is with me, I really need to see Zelda."

"But where is Navi?" Link had never heard the large owl sound so frantic before, and it was making him nervous. "She's supposed to be with you, Link. Otherwise, Zelda will not recognize you as the boy from the forest."

Link shook his head. "That's where you have it wrong. All she needs to recognize is this." With that, he held up his left hand, the back of which he turned to face the owl. The mysterious bird's reaction was nothing short of immense surprise.

"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, hoo hoo hoo hoot!" He rose up on his talons and flapped nervously, hooting and screeching the entire time. Link was almost afraid that he had given the old bird a heart attack, what with the way he was reacting. Kaepora settled down somewhat, then brought his large head close and took a good long look at the symbol on the back of Link's hand. "It's...it's...oh my, Link, you are marked by the Triforce of Courage...it...does it reside within you? It does, doesn't it?"

Link nodded at the great bird. "It does. Now you see why I must see Zelda, despite what prophecy dictates; my destiny has changed quite a bit. And don't worry about Navi...I...she'll be fine."

Kaepora Gaebora nodded in comprehension. "Oh, young one. I can see the concern on your face, and I know the burden of knowledge that you bear."

"Say what?"

Kaepora chuckled with a series of soft hoots. "You believe yourself to be the only one who knows of your situation, but I must tell you that I understand completely the will of the Goddesses. I understand that you are Hero of Time returned—you're the one who can travel through time's flow at will."

"How...how do you know about that?" asked Link incredulously. "You called me the 'Hero of time'. So...all this time...you knew?"

"I told you before that I am the oracle for the Goddesses. Believe it or not, though I think you are of a sound enough mind now to take me for my word, but they tell me things directly, and I use this knowledge to aid he who they have chosen as their hero. I knew from the beginning that you were destined to be the Hero of Time, and I knew also that once your task was complete that they would send you back to regain your lost years...seven years, if I am not mistaken. Your experience shows in your eyes...I can see that now. The Triforce mark on your hand explains much." He beat his wings downward and rose off the ground. "You must see Zelda. You were right: a new destiny awaits you now. The princess doesn't know it yet, but she soon will. Farewell, hero!" A moment later Kaepora Gaebora flew out of sight, an awestruck Link left behind to ponder all that the old owl had revealed to him.

* * *

Zelda watched intently through one of the side windows of Hyrule Castle's Grand Audience Chamber. From her position in the castle gardens, she could see her father sitting on his throne at the head of the hall with his bodyguard Ruhne standing stoically behind him. The many foreign dignitaries that had arrived from the surrounding countries were filing into the chamber, as well as some formally dressed Gerudo women (though what they considered to be formal attire still left a lot of skin showing, their midriffs exposed as well; most of the Noble women had been known to complain about the Gerudo's lack of respect for their bodies, but the men otherwise held their tongues, consigned instead to stare and gawk), and they stood off to the sides to keep clear the space in the center of the expansive hall. From among the many people in attendance was singled out a lone Gerudo male in black armor. He walked down the center of the chamber towards the king, head held high, prepared to swear his so-called loyalty and allegiance to Hyrule's Royal Family.

A noise from behind made her jump suddenly. At first, she thought it might just be Impa, but she soon thought better of that. She knew that her handmaid never made a sound while walking the castle grounds. _My Sheikah bodyguard could sneak up on a fox during the fall in a thicket._ No, it was someone else. Slowly, she turned, and the first color her peripherals caught sight of was green. Then she turned entirely, her breath caught up in her throat. A boy about her age, clad in a green tunic and hat, stood a few meters in front of her. He gazed at her intently, his sapphire eyes full of purpose.

_Is it him?_ she thought. _Is it the boy from my vision? Though, if it is, where is his fairy?_

Just then, something else entirely caught her eye. There, on the back of his left hand...the symbol of the Triforce was clearly displayed—the Triforce of Courage.

_**Author's Note:** I owe much gratitude to Windblown Wanderer and Desteni for helping me with my stories thus far as well as giving their support._


	4. Chapter 3: Many Revelations

_**Chapter 3: Many Revelations**_

Rauru, a distinguished member of the King's Council, stood among the gathered Hylians and foreign nobles to watch the forging of the alliance with Ganondorf. Indeed, he appeared to be already far in his life, however Rauru had lived longer than one would have expected, centuries even, for he could not die of old age due to his special calling in life, one that had compelled him—his duties as an a voice of wisdom in the castle court aside—to make an appearance at such a prestigious event. Especially after seeing what he had witnessed only an hour earlier, he needed to be as close to Hyrule's Royal Family as possible, especially when their proceedings included one such as Ganondorf.

Today, Rauru had chosen to wear rich, flowing robes of burgundy and velvet. He was bald, and the only hair that he had left was in the form of a thick snow-white mustache. The crest of the Royal Family was displayed prominently on the front of his thick sash, an honor reserved to those who served or fought in their name. Outwardly, Rauru held himself with the pride of many generations of Hylian scholars and acclaimed wise men, which had allowed him years earlier to use his influence as a Nobleman to work his way among the Royal Family watch over them. Had they known what he truly was, such a ruse would not have been possible for so many years, and his position would be compromised.

No, he wasn't a spy; in fact it wouldn't be overall a bad thing for a person to find out who and what he truly was, but he preferred things as they were, maintaining an appearance of normality.

He was Rauru, guardian of the hidden Sacred Realm, keeper of the Temple of Light, and the Sage of Light, one of the six Ancient Sages in the service of the kingdom and of the Goddesses. He was the architect of the Temple of Time, which was the doorway into the Sacred Realm.

He also knew of the coming of the Hero of Time, and he knew that the time for his appearance and calling forth was nigh upon the kingdom. Rauru had the appearance of an aged Hylian man, though even as he looked now, this was not his true form. He and the other six Sages who watched over Hyrule were in fact beings of light, ethereal in nature, and immortal besides that. Once, long ago, he had looked as he now portrayed himself, but that was many centuries prior.

A castle servant walked by with a silver tray upon which sat goblets of fine wine. The tray was lowered so that the incognito Sage could take a proffered goblet. He accepted the offer, remaining casual to the conspicuous eye, but he kept from drinking, preferring instead to keep watch on the event's proceedings. Inwardly he felt a looming dread begin to clutch at his heart. He watched as Ganondorf strode proudly down the aisle, his heavy boots resounding loudly with each footfall. To Rauru, the man had a darkening aura about him, yet Hyrule's King, Ignacio II, held no ill will towards the tall Gerudo monarch.

Earlier that very day Rauru had journeyed deep into the heart of the Gerudo Desert northwest of Hyrule Castle. It was also there many centuries ago that he had received his final calling in life: to be the Sage of Light for the Three Creator Goddesses. His powers as a Sage enabled him to travel to nearly any part of Hyrule instantaneously, a power reserved for those called of the Goddesses, whether they be Sage or Hero. What he had visited was an age-old fortress known as the Arbiter's Grounds, atop which was a shrine dedicated to the Sages of Hyrule. There, the Ancient Sages kept their vigil over the land while they received direct instruction from the Goddesses themselves. They also kept watch over the secrets of the shrine: secrets concerning users of the most extreme of dark arts and their sealing away, secrets that only the deities, the Sages, and other privileged beings of Hyrule were allowed to know.

As for the events that happened only an hour earlier, Rauru could remember his experience clearly, and it left a feeling of anxiety with him that he just could not shake.

_He arrived at his destination not entirely sure of what to expect. He knew it concerned the approaching fulfillment of the prophecy of the Hero of Time and the encroaching evil that said hero would by necessity do away with._

_The sandstone fortress of Arbiter's Grounds—used now by Hyrule's Royal Family as a dungeon for its most dangerous villains and criminals, though it was once a stronghold for times of war—was immense, and the topmost open-air chamber was large enough to fit the Grand Audience Chamber of Hyrule Castle twice over. Pillars towered over the sand-strewn floor, the symbols of the Guardian Powers of Hyrule, synonymous with the kingdom's Sages, displayed in all their glory at their peaks. In the very center of the circular space was an immense dark stone obelisk. Its purpose was shrouded in the mysteries of the ages, its creation that of great spirits of Light, and though the reason for the shrine atop the Arbiter's Grounds was not to keep watch over this obelisk, it still somehow served in this capacity also, the ever-watchful and vigilant Sages able to observe Hyrule and guard the stone's dark secrets at once._

_But Rauru's purpose for going to the Gerudo Desert was unrelated to this dark artifact. He was answering a summons, bringing him from the world of men and politics of Hyrule's Castle to the mystical world of the Sages and the duties bound to them that were maintaining order and balance in the land left to them by the Goddesses._

_Around him stood five others, but they did not look as he did. Indeed, Rauru was the only being present that had the appearance of an aged Hylian male. All of them had been in the service of the Goddesses for so long that they had since moved on from their original forms and were spending the rest of their days as beings of light. Rauru also was given such a form as the others, but he had opted for the guise of his former self to blend in among mortal men. His companions had no need for such a ruse and appeared now in their true forms. Their entire bodies shone with the power of the Goddesses, and their countenances were that of aged wisdom. True, their faces were projected a few inches to the front of their heads, looking to all the world like floating masks, but the effect was to give their ethereal natures a modicum of form, to allow them a remaining vestige of their previous mortality, long ago though it may have been. Their lives were extended indefinitely, unless one was so inclined to forcefully extinguish their existence._

_The Sage of Water, the oldest and arguably wisest of the six, was the first to speak amongst them, arranged as they were near the base of the huge black stone. "The reason we have gathered here is no mystery to any of us," he stated, providing no introduction, for none was necessary, skipping all preliminary small talk and getting straight to the point. "The Hero of Time: his awakening is nigh at hand."_

_Rauru shuffled, his robes rustling about his illusory frame. His restlessness, a trait he retained because he spent so much time among mortals, betrayed his feelings of unease to his peers. "We know the time is at hand, and we even know who to expect: a young man wearing the green tunic and hat reserved as the Hero's Garb. Even the telltale signs of the coming darkness, personified in the Demon King Ganondorf, are present. But something doesn't feel right. I'm not sure if my anxiety is a result of the tides of darkness beginning to work their invisible paths over the land of Hyrule, but I feel there is more happening than a mere struggle over the forces of evil."_

_The Sage of Fire bobbed his head toward Rauru. "The fabric of space and time are in a state of flux. That is the only suggestion I can make to satisfy what you might be feeling now. As we, in our Sagehood, are finely attuned to the energies and magics that hold the world in place, we can all sense that destiny, for once, is uncertain."_

_"Ah," said Rauru, stroking his stubby chin. "I should have realized this sooner. After all, I am the caretaker of the Temple of Light, which is connected from its place in the Sacred Realm to the Temple of Time." The Sage of Light realized that the Hero's very presence and actions would put strains on the fabric and flow of time, which should have come as no surprise. "But he has yet to step foot in the Temple itself. Why would the flow of time already show any signs of stress?"_

Look to our Sacred Realm_, a soft, yet commanding voice said. _There ye shall see how the flow of time affects even the Triforce in its resting place. _The voice was unmistakably that of one of the three Creator Goddesses of Hyrule—or perhaps it had been all three speaking at once—and it had resounded within the mind of Rauru as well as the other Sages, he noted, seeing how they too were reacting to what was heard._

_A tangible image sprang before the eyes of the Sages, quickly forming in their midst. It was as if great shimmering curtains were being drawn aside, the world of Hyrule opening to the hidden world within itself, and through this opening Rauru could see to the wonders of the Sacred Realm. Far in the distance an ancient pyramid rose high into the air, and atop it was a golden glow that spread throughout the entire land. The image of the pyramid's top seemed to zoom in and focus. Rauru and the Sages then saw with amazing clarity the sacred relic, the Triforce, floating by some unseen force above the ground, radiating its light over the image of the land, illuminating the gathering of Sages, and lighting the darkening pillars of the atrium atop Arbiter's Grounds._

_The voice from before came to the mind of Rauru and the other Sages once again. _A storm approacheth in Hyrule, as you are well aware. The Princess of Destiny in Hyrule Castle hath been given dreams of dark clouds that cover the land, and a boy in green standeth to pierce the darkness. This evil, which hath pervaded the land is indeed Ganondorf. He desireth power and will stop at nothing to obtain that which ye behold at this moment. Yea, all this in order to fulfill the wishes of his black heart.

The chosen hero clad in green will be thine instrument to bring an end to this evil. It is as I tell ye. Even now, our chosen one returneth from his journey across time itself, yea, for his quest continueth even before the moment that it hath commenced. _Rauru was bestowed with centuries worth of acquired wisdom, but even the cryptic messages of the Goddesses left him wondering at times. _Heed our words, for, at this very moment, yea, even as ye are spoken to, the Hero standeth within the Temple of Time.

_Then, something strange began to occur. The image of the Triforce stirred, as if disturbed by an unseen hand. It broke apart into three separate pieces, then disappeared as if it had never been there. The golden glow across the land dimmed tremendously with the disappearance of the sacred relic. Rauru was shaken to his very core by the scene that had just unfolded before his eyes._

_"What just happened to the Triforce?" he asked the unseen Goddesses, a tremor to his voice. The other Sages murmured their shared worries as well. "There was no one to touch and cause it to rupture so."_

Rauru, _the voice said, seemingly directly to him this time, _there is no time to the return of our hero, thou art needed back at the castle to meet him. Thou wilt learn the fate of the Triforce soon enough. We shall send thee away now. Farewell, Sage of Light.

_Before he could get another word out edgewise he was magically transported to appear in his private study in Hyrule Castle._

That had been only an hour ago, but what with the current proceedings—the finalization of Ganondorf's supposed peace treaty—time seemed to drag on into eternity, Rauru's mind racing, leaving him to constantly ponder all the things that had transpired atop Arbiter's Grounds. The vision he and the other Sages had received of the Triforce was a strange one indeed, but it left no doubt in his mind that the sacred relic had disappeared from its resting place, the very fabric of time having disturbed it. Indeed, such an occurrence could only be connected to the activities of the Hero of Time, whatever they may be.

Rauru had wanted to immediately check the Temple of Time to see if anything there had been tampered with, if the Master Sword had been removed from the Pedestal of Time, or if the Door of Time had somehow come open. He was, however, certain that the young Princess Zelda still had in her possession the Ocarina of Time, which was the key to even entering the chamber that held the portal to the Sacred Realm, a place where this world and the flow of time could come in contact with each other. And the Master Sword was the vessel with which one traversed time itself; measures had been taken long ago to ensure that only the Hero of Time could touch the blade.

The Prophecy of the Hero of Time was told to be not only a turning point in the history of Hyrule, but that its advent would affect future generations in what could only be described as variable futures. This meant to the Sages that Hyrule's fate wasn't unknown, for the Goddesses always knew what was to come; however, it meant that there was certainly more than one future for Hyrule, and that the Hero's tampering with time would cause this to happen. He would use the Master Sword and the Ocarina of Time, travel between eras and traverse the years in the blink of an eye...and eventually the fabric of time would fray from the stress, for it was a fragile thing indeed.

The thing that concerned Rauru was whether or not time had already frayed and fractured. It was likely that this was already the case, for even the Triforce had felt the effects that time had caused it. And if time itself was no longer whole...then what was the future of the current Hyrule? Would the Hero of Time even appear now? Would Ganondorf bring in an era of darkness or would peace remain in the land for a season more?

These thoughts and more troubled the ancient mind of Rauru, but all he and the other Sages could do for the moment was wait to see if the Hero of Time would make an appearance after all. The time of his prophesied coming was upon the kingdom now, and Rauru, Sage of Light, would remain vigilant and patient, watching for said Hero's arrival.

His mind was abruptly brought back to the present by a small tug on his robe. He looked to his left to see a small girl, no more than nine or ten years old, gazing up at him. She had auburn hair down to her tiny shoulders and the greenest eyes he had ever seen. She was wearing a blue dress after the style of the upper class women of Rhydale. Apparently, some Noble had decided to bring his daughter along for the occasion.

The Sage of Light smiled down at the girl, who in turn giggled. Rauru couldn't believe the king had gone so far as to invite the dignitaries of the surrounding countries and provinces to attend the peace negotiations with Ganondorf. He knew Ignacio to be far from foolish, though he wondered if the king had lost his mind a bit since the war, ten years earlier.

"Hello, what's your name?" he asked the little girl from Rhydale in a pleasant tone.

"I'm Cytha," she said unabashedly, performing a small curtsy.

"Cytha...that's a pretty name." She blushed at his compliment and looked from him to the window behind them. Rauru followed her gaze and saw the back of a small girl's dress through the glass.

The little girl turned back to him and asked, "Who's that girl over there?"

Rauru, though he only saw the back of the small girl standing in the castle courtyard, recognized the young heir to the throne instantly. "That's the princess of Hyrule. Her name is Zelda."

"How come she gets to have fun in the garden? It's boring in here. Even you are boring, old man."

Despite the girl's precociousness, which Rauru easily attributed to the blunt nature of her young age, he chuckled. "Well, if you were out in the garden, would you have been able to meet someone as boring and old as me?"

She looked down and shuffled her feet, the logic trap of the question unavoidable. "Um...no...I guess not." She looked back out the window and pouted. "But if I was out in the garden then I'd get to meet _him._"

Rauru looked out the window once more and this time was able to spot a boy wearing a green tunic who was standing in front of Zelda. _Green, _thought Rauru. _The hero clad in green...but...wait! How could the hero be a mere child?_

_

* * *

_

_Link crept cautiously into the inner courtyard of Hyrule Castle, wary of any guards that he might not have noticed as he tried his best to sneak noiselessly by. All he knew was that he was to meet someone known as the Princess of Destiny. He hadn't any idea what she looked like, or even how old she was. All he had was a name...Zelda._

_Feeling extremely exposed in the openness of the garden courtyard, he literally tiptoed as he made his way to a small figure that was standing next to a window. Even from behind he could tell that it was a small girl about his age. _Finally, someone other than some castle soldier, _he thought, figuring that she would be a little less likely to toss him out like yesterday's garbage._

_It wasn't until he was right next to her that she turned and let out a small gasp of surprise. Navi flew out from under Link's floppy green cap and lighted on his shoulder, giggling a little. Link eyed his blue-glowing fairy partner suspiciously, for it was obvious that she knew something he didn't._

_The girl in front of him was wearing a pink, white, and blue long-sleeved dress with the seal of the Royal Family displayed clearly on its front. A golden clasp with a ruby set into it rested upon her breastbone, and her headdress had the seal of the Royal Family as well, but said crest was engraved upon a golden medallion on her forehead instead of woven into the fabric of her attire. Her hair was barely visible under her headdress, but Link could see a couple of blond strands poking out from beneath it. She had the pointed ears of a Hylian, and her eyes were crystal blue, just like his. They gazed intently at him, taking in his appearance._

_"Who, who are you?" she stammered. "How did you get past the guards?" She bombarded him with questions, and he winced under her commanding tone. He looked back to Navi, who was merely waving at the Princess with a small, hard-to-see hand._

_"C'mon," urged the fairy. "Tell her who we are."_

_The girl let out another gasp, wonderment filling her wide eyes. "Oh? What's that? Is that..." She reached out a hand towards Navi and touched one of her wingtips. The fairy sprang up into the air with a giggle; obviously the light touch had tickled her a bit. "...a fairy?"_

_Navi came back and settled herself on Link's other shoulder. "I'm Navi. Nice to meet you."_

_She gazed a second longer at the bright blue fairy then looked back at Link. "Then, are you...are you from the forest?" Link could only nod, the enchanting young girl having deprived him of speech momentarily. Her excitement seemed to be rising the more she spoke with the two unexpected guests. "Then...then...you wouldn't happen to have...the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, would you?" Link blinked for a moment, for her sapphire eyes were mesmerizing to him. "That green and shining stone...do you have it?"_

_Link finally found his speech. "I...yeah, it's right here." He fumbled around in his belt pouch and removed a stunning round emerald set in a gold frame that curved elegantly around the precious rock's features. "Taa-daa," he said weakly, managing a small grin. The comic gesture was surprisingly effective, and the young girl giggled loudly._

_With a smile, she reached over and plucked the stone right out of his unsuspecting hands. She eyed it for a moment, tracing the outlines of it with her fingers. "Just as I thought!" she exclaimed happily, placing the emerald back in Link's still-outstretched hands. Then her tone became a little more serious. "I had a dream..." she was silent for a moment, as if remembering the details thereof. "In the dream, dark storm clouds were billowing over the land of Hyrule...but suddenly, a ray of light shot out of the forest, parted the clouds and lit up the ground...The light turned into a figure holding a green and shining stone, followed by a fairy." She once again looked at Navi, the fairy staring right back at her, entranced by the details of the dream._

_The girl closed her eyes. "I know this is a prophecy that someone would come from the forest." She opened them again, a curious look within them. "Yes, I thought you might be the one."_

_Link looked at Navi, and she giggled back at him. "Well," he said, "you're right. Navi and I are from the forest. You've been expecting us, so...does that mean that you're...?"_

_Her eyes widened, an apologetic look coming across her face. "Oh, I'm sorry! I got carried away with my story and didn't even properly introduce myself!" She composed herself quickly, stood up taller, and placed a small hand upon her breast. "I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule."_

Link nodded at that. "I know," he said. "I know very well who you are." This meeting was very different from the first time he had met the Princess of Destiny, he noted. He already knew all about the prophecy that she had dreamed of. This time, he had quickly stepped up to her and introduced himself as Link, the Hero of Time.

"But...how is that possible?" she asked after hearing that he already knew her. "I would have known if we had met before. And what's a Hero of Time?"

Link shook his head. "I don't think there's much time to explain, princess."

Zelda looked a little nervous. "What do you mean? I need to know if you're the boy from the forest. Do you have a green and shining stone?"

Link paused and fished something out of his pack. _Looks like it didn't get lost in the mists of time,_ he thought to himself, plucking the Kokiri's emerald up in his hand. It was still in his pack because he got sent back to a moment in time before he laid it and the other stones on the altar before the Door of Time. "Here, you can have it," he said bluntly, placing the stone into Zelda's right hand. "We won't be needing it this time around."

"This time around?" By now, confusion had all but taken over Zelda's thoughts. "I don't know what you're talking about. If you're from the forest, then you need to keep this stone...if we're to follow my plan...if..."

Link frowned. "Not a chance. We can't risk Ganondorf getting into the Sacred Realm."

She gasped. "How do you know about Ganondorf?" Then her eyes lit up. "You...you know what he's after, don't you?"

Link took hold of Zelda's hands and looked her squarely in the eyes. "Look, it's kind of hard to explain, but I've seen what will happen if he gets his hands on the relic that your family keeps hidden in the Sacred Realm. And...I know what you're planning, Zelda."

"You...you do?"

"Yes, I know that you plan on entering the Sacred Realm before him. That's why you want me to keep the Spiritual Stone...and collect the others for you from the Gorons and the Zoras."

She smiled as he related exactly what she had in mind to her. "Right, right. And we haven't a moment to waste, Ganondorf is-"

"That's not such a good idea now," Link interjected, cutting her off quickly. "You can trust me on that; I've seen the outcome."

"But...it's the only way to stop him..."

Link gritted his teeth. "Not anymore." He raised his left hand and showed Zelda the mark on the back of it. At first she gazed blankly what she probably thought was a tattoo of the royal family's crest, but Link watched in satisfaction as her eyes widened, realization setting in as she saw the mark for what it really was.

"It's too late," Link went on. "You may not believe what I have to say, but you must listen. I've come from the future." As expected, her eyes met his with confusion, but he ignored it. "I've met you before...we...tried this plan. It ends...no, _ended_ in failure. Ganondorf was the first to touch the Triforce, and it split into three pieces because his heart was not balanced, letting him keep only the Triforce of Power, but it was enough for Hyrule to suffer under his rule."

"A legend of the Triforce...an unbalanced heart disturbs its unity," she said thoughtfully. "But...that's only a myth."

"And it's a myth that came true. One of those pieces came to me, a piece called the Triforce of Courage. This mark," he raised his left hand in front of him again, "is evidence of that, and I somehow still possess it, though I was sent back to a moment in time before Ganondorf touched it."

Zelda gained a frantic look. "Are you suggesting...that you can travel through time?"

"I'm not suggesting anything. No, I'm _telling_ you that this is the case."

She gave Link an intrigued look, but it soon faded as she brought her mind back to the matter at hand. "So...if you have one piece, then the other two...?"

"I don't know. I thought maybe you would know something about that. When I came back in time, I expected to come back to where the Triforce would still be whole so that we could stop Ganondorf from even entering the Sacred Realm, touching it, and splitting it up. But...the only thing I can think of is that when I came back with the piece still inside me, something happened to the existent Triforce."

Zelda seemed to be coming to some kind of conclusion. "Of course...if what you're saying is true, then that means that two pieces of the Triforce could not co-exist at once. That would overbalance its perfect harmony. So the whole Triforce was disturbed—a piece of it went missing because of the piece you already held—this left the other two parts unattended. Therefore, the Triforce must have become unstable and probably separated completely...the two remaining pieces have probably sought out holders as well. They...ahhh!" Zelda suddenly yelped and dropped the Kokiri emerald.

Link immediately reached down to recover the stone before it rolled away, and sprang back up to Zelda's side. "Princess, what's the matter?"

She looked up at him, dazed and a bit confused. "I...don't know. It was as if...as if...how can I describe this? It's as if I grew suddenly." She looked away and to her right hand, and there, on the back, was the glowing symbol of the Triforce of Wisdom: three golden equilateral triangles, the bottom left of which glowed brighter than the other two.

At first, Link stared incredulously at it, then he sighed in relief. "It seems your theory was correct, and we can now account for the Triforce of Wisdom."

"Yes, that's what this is," said Zelda, a bit more calmly and collected than she had been during the entirety of their conversation. "I can feel it...it's almost as if it's speaking to me. It's telling me...that you speak the truth. That you are the Hero of Time. The Hero of Time..."

Link grinned. "Zelda...I..." He shook his head, saving the words he had almost spoken for later. "Okay, listen. Like I said, we're short on time." He pointed through the window at the ceremony within the castle. "Ganondorf is being accepted today as an ally to the kingdom."

"Yes, I know this, but what can we do? Besides, we need to find out what happened to the third piece of the Triforce."

"We don't have time for that. If we don't do something soon, this castle will fall under Ganondorf's control within a matter of days, and the king will fall by his hand."

A large hand was suddenly placed upon Link's left shoulder. He gulped and turned to face the large woman that had just appeared behind him.

"Young man," said the tall, silver-haired woman.

"Impa!" exclaimed Link, throwing Zelda's attendant a huge smile.  
She frowned. "How do you...?"

Zelda spoke up. "Impa, he's the Hero of Time. He's come back from the future to help us stop Ganondorf from killing my father."

Impa paused for a moment, considering Zelda's seemingly strange comment. "He is...the boy from your vision...?"

Zelda vigorously nodded. "He is...and more."

Impa had an intense look upon her face. "Is this true what he says, that Ganondorf will kill your father?"

"It is." She showed her hand to her handmaid, causing the Sheikah's eyes to widen in surprise. "Impa, look."

"Oh my...Zelda, child..."

"There's a lot that we have to discuss," explained Link hurriedly, "but that will have to wait. Right now, we three have a party to crash."

* * *

Triyu surveyed the mass of assembled people. It was surprising that so many had come on such short notice to attend the final peace negotiations with Ganondorf. Already, the proceedings had been under way for about a half hour. At the moment, the Gerudo was swearing to uphold particular Hyrule laws while within the kingdom's boundaries. He vowed to be subservient to the king while in his land, and to honor the treaty that would soon be signed.

Ruhne looked stiff and uncomfortable standing next to King Ignacio II. He caught the eye of his son and gave him a forced smile. Triyu wasn't sure what his father was so anxious about. To the youth, Ganondorf truly appeared sincere and repentant of his past crimes against the Hylians and other denizens of the land. He could understand the misgivings that some citizens of the kingdom might hold about the Gerudo, but felt that as a future member of the Royal Family's Elite Guard, he needed to trust the king's decisions implicitly.

Looking around the Grand Audience Chamber once more, he noticed that one of the oldest members of the King's Council looked anxious as well. He kept glancing towards a window that looked out into the inner courtyard of the castle, an annex to the gardens. _What does Rauru see?_ he thought, starting to weave his way in and out of fancily-clad individuals and Gerudo women, attempting to reach the sage old man.

A loud shattering of glass sounded throughout the chamber, immediately halting the voice of the King, who had been presenting Ganondorf's case to the people gathered. He saw Rauru's eyes go wide, and a little girl beside him ducked behind his decorative robes. Triyu pulled forth his sword from its sheath attached to his left hip and furrowed his brow at what he saw.

Impa, Zelda's secretive handmaid, was crouched low to the ground, glass shards falling off her frame and to the floor. She quickly stood up and leapt into the air, over Triyu's head, and landed neatly in the center of the chamber, about twenty feet behind Ganondorf, who was kneeling in submission before the king.

King Ignacio stood quickly from his throne, red in the face. "What is the meaning of this interruption?" he demanded, spittle flying from his mouth. "Impa, what in the name of Din, Nayru, and Farore are you doing?" Beside him, Ruhne had the tiniest hint of a grin, but drew his sword anyway, prepared as always to do the bidding of the king. Many of the castle soldiers were confused, some bringing their spears to bear, others murmuring amongst themselves jokingly that this was just part of the ceremony. Most of the foreign dignitaries stood aghast at Impa's behavior, and many had drawn their own weapons, expecting trouble.

"Your majesty!" her voice boomed. "I, Impa of Kakariko, one of your most loyal subjects and attendant to your daughter, Princess Zelda, cannot allow you to proceed with this mockery of a peace negotiation. To do so is to sign your own death warrant by this man, Ganondorf, a thief and a murderer!" She drew her own weapon, pulling it from the small sheath that rested on her lower back, and pointed it at the lowered backside of the Gerudo. At this the remainder of the castle soldiers brought their arms to bear, spears coming to their fore, and stared as menacingly as they could at the Sheikah warrior.

"You have no authority here!" resounded the king's voice. "Your outburst during this solemn and historic event has cost you your trust. You will leave immediately and return to Kakariko, where you will remain until I can properly and formally reprimand you."

"It's not your choice to make, your majesty." If she was at all troubled by the king's pronouncement upon her, it didn't show. "You can't fight destiny."

Ignacio grew even more furious, and Ganondorf just remained kneeling, as if this debacle was nothing to be concerned about. "Ruhne!" he shouted, turning suddenly to face Triyu's father. "Arrest Impa. If she resists, you may use any means necessary to detain her for her insolence this day."

Ruhne sighed heavily and started towards the lone figure in the middle of the hall when another voice sounded over by the window. It was that of a small girl.

"Father, you can't go on with this!" shouted the young Princess Zelda, everyone's attention immediately going to her. Even Ganondorf finally turned his head, her voice apparently having piqued his interest.

"My dear Zelda," said the King, watching her as she wove through the crowd, passing first the Nobles and then the castle guards, to stand by Impa's side. Triyu followed her with his eyes, not sure what to think about this sudden turn of events. "What are you doing, child?"

"You failed to listen to me once, father, and now I will make things a bit more clear. I have just had a very important visit from a person of whom I have told you, and the fate of the kingdom has been placed in his hands by the Goddesses themselves."

"Is it this forest boy from your dreams?" asked the king condescendingly. "I have told you to pay no heed to that rot." The assembly stiffened at the words the king used against his daughter. "The days of the war are over. Have you no grasp as to what I am trying to accomplish here, how I am trying to usher in a new era of peace?"

"Wait." It was Ganondorf that had spoken. He was now standing, facing the battle-ready Impa and the small form of the princess. "This intrigues me, my friend." Ganondorf began walking towards the princess and her attendant, a sinister grin upon his face. When he was about ten feet away, he stopped and said, "A forest boy, is it? I must regretfully inform you that the children of the forest are but mere legends, a childhood story to put children to sleep at night. I would listen to what you father tells you, and you should really know better than to drag your handmaid into these little fantasies of yours. Impa most likely has more important work to do."

Triyu saw a flash of green, and a small figure suddenly appeared behind the Gerudo King with what appeared to be a miniature sword in hand. How he had moved so quickly and arrived at that location perturbed him, but he stayed attentive lest he miss another detail like that. The young boy pointed the weapon directly at the Gerudo's lower back. "Impa knows exactly what she's doing," he said, his young voice betraying his menacing tone, "as does Zelda. And so do I."

Triyu couldn't allow this to go on any longer. The king was furious, and no one had done anything to stop this, not even his father Ruhne. He took two steps forward and knocked his sword forcefully against the one held by the boy in green. The strength of the impact caused the blade to drop from the small boy's hands. In that moment, Ganondorf whirled on the young lad and grabbed him by the neck in one of his massive gauntleted hands.

"Good work, Triyu," snarled Ganondorf as he held the intruding boy aloft for all to see. The green-clad child struggled at his captor, trying to kick at him, but he held him too far away. The only thing keeping him from passing out was that he held onto the Gerudo's arm with both hands to support his weight. Triyu couldn't have even begun to comprehend how anti-climactic this scene before him was, as this boy, seven years in an alternate future, had defeated this very same man that now threatened to snap his neck.

"Link!" screamed Zelda. She began to run forward but was held back by one of Impa's restricting hands.

The King of Hyrule looked disbelievingly at the small boy in Ganondorf's vise-like grip. "Th-the boy from the forest? What...how...?" he sputtered.

"I suppose the legends are true after all," announced Ganondorf, looking around at the many spectators. "But there's something missing about this boy, something that would prove that he truly is an assassin from the forest." The Gerudo King paused for effect, those assembled on edge not only from Ganondorf's words, but mostly from the sequence of events that had just transpired. The fiery-haired man breathed in deep before finally saying, "This boy has no fairy partner. He must be something else, someone..." A golden glow suddenly shone forth from the boy, and Ganondorf gasped in surprise. "What? What is this? This cannot be! Am I...am I too late?"

"It's over, Ganondorf," said Impa calmly. "We know what you're really here for."

"You misjudge him," said Triyu, pointing his sword towards Impa. "The king wants peace and trusts this man to uphold such. Can't you support the decision of our ruler?"

"Stay out of this, boy," growled Impa, a feral red glow appearing in her dark eyes.

"This...this is impossible!" spat out Ganondorf, still clutching on to Link's small neck. "Your majesty," he implored the king, "this boy has stolen your family's Triforce!"

The king grew pale in the face and stumbled backwards to sit heavily on his throne. "Th-the Triforce? This boy...?" His darting eyes rested on his daughter. "Zelda?"

"Your majesty," continued Ganondorf from behind Triyu and his father. "This is treason to your throne. If we don't deal with this boy and his co-conspirators immediately," he gave a cursory glance in Impa and Zelda's direction, "there's no telling what kind of trouble they'll amount to...what with the Power of Gold...the Triforce..."

"Power of Gold?" repeated Triyu.

"If I may," Ganondorf implored the king, in an almost imperceptibly desperate tone, "It would do his majesty great honor if I took matters into my hands...you would know for a certainty the loyalty that my people and I hold for this kingdom."

A bright light suddenly lit the grand hall. Many turned to spot the source, which turned out to be the old man Rauru. He shone with a brilliance that caused many to shield their eyes from view, especially those closest to him.

"The hero dressed in green," he said, in turn receiving many quizzical looks from the many people within the chamber. Ganondorf turned to face him, a look of puzzlement, then contempt crossing his olive-colored face.

"What are you blabbering about, old man?"

"Silence, fiend!" a ray of light shot out from Rauru's hands and hit Ganondorf square in the chest, surprising the Gerudo and causing him to drop the small emerald-clad boy. Link hit the ground rolling, then stayed crouched for a moment as he caught his breath, rubbing his reddened neck where Ganondorf had choked him.

Ganondorf drew his short, thick blade. "I will cut you to pieces, fool!" he bellowed, quickly recovering from Rauru's magical attack.

The king's eyes widened when he witnessed the assault on Ganondorf from his oldest council member. "Rauru!" he called out. "What are you doing?"

Rauru paid the king no mind, and remained facing Ganondorf. "Yes, what you see is the Triforce, but how do you know of such a relic? Have you any mind to realize that if you kill one possessing a piece of the Triforce, that you will become its next bearer, making you a thief as well as a murderer?" He paused a moment, waiting for the Gerudo to respond, but he only glared at the sage old man. Rauru continued. "But you seem fine with this knowledge...yes, you already know much about the Triforce, otherwise you would not have called it by name."

"Many know of the legends of the Triforce," he responded coolly to Rauru's accusation. "I know it to be the Hyrule Royal Family's most guarded secret. If these three possess it now, that means that they have stolen it, and I believe such an offense warrants death. I was only following your country's own law." In the meantime, Link circled around Ganondorf and picked up his small sword where it lay.

"Don't play coy with me!" boomed Rauru's deep voice. A hush fell over all who watched, and Ganondorf grimaced. "You do not know who you are talking to. In fact, many do not yet know me as the Sage of Light," he glanced at Link, "except that small boy in green, perhaps. I keep watch over the Temple of Light within the Sacred Realm, Ganondorf. I saw with my own eyes what had occurred with the Triforce—it wasn't stolen. Somehow it was forced to separate, and it found owners worthy of its three lesser parts."

"You..." snarled the Gerudo, tightening his grip on his blade handle. "Impossible, how could you...?"

"Your time has come, Ganondorf," announced Rauru, cutting Ganondorf's sentence off sharply. "You may have veiled our king's eyes from your true intentions, leading him to believe your lies, but that is a simple matter and easily explained. Our king wished for peace and was blinded by his aspirations. You have aided his fall by poisoning his mind with your manipulative tongue. Yes, I know what you are capable of. I know of your powers. I remember how you fought in the war, ten years ago. You sought then what you still seek now: the Triforce. I am right. Do not deny your guilt!"

Triyu could not believe his ears. Yet, Rauru spoke with authority and knowledge; he had called himself the Sage of Light and, somehow, Triyu knew that what he was saying was the truth. His father's misgivings about the man from the desert was no doubt rooted deeply in the war of the past.

Ruhne walked forward as if in answer to Triyu's musings concerning him. "Your days are numbered, Ganondorf. I smelled a rat the moment you came here. Leave and never return, or stay and meet your doom."

The Gerudo laughed deeply in response. "You fools. Do you think that I did not foresee an event such as this? I feared it might come to bloodshed," he tarried on this word, sweeping his eyes over the throng of various people surrounding him, "and it turns out that I was right." He began seething with a dark inner power, a deep, violet glow escaping his large frame. He put his free hand to his mouth and placed two fingers into it, after which he emitted a high-pitched whistle. The formally-clad Gerudo women shed their outer layer of clothing, revealing blood-red attire and thick desert pants underneath. They each brandished twin scimitars, previously hidden by their shed attire, which caused those around them to back away in fear. People began screaming and running in many directions, and complete chaos broke loose within the Grand Audience Chamber, which seemed to please Ganondorf, this being very much evidenced by the wicked grin on his face.

Still burning with dark inner energies, Ganondorf laughed again. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but you Hylians leave me no choice. I _will_ have the Triforce..._today_...geh heh heh."

_**Author's Note: **The split timeline of the Zelda universe is certainly an interesting concept that the game's developers came up with. I tried my best to illustrate it in the narrative, which is hard to do without blatantly out and saying _The Timeline is Split.


	5. Chapter 4: Fight for Hyrule Castle

_**Chapter 4: Fight for Hyrule Castle**_

King Ignacio was silent as Ruhne dragged him by the arm towards the west tower of Hyrule Castle. The contingency of soldiers that had followed to protect their king fought bravely as Gerudo warriors stood forth to bar their path. However, Ruhne was soon the only one left standing, the less-skilled castle soldiers having fallen to injury or fatality. After all, every Gerudo born to the tribe of the desert was bred for war, for fighting, for savagery.

Ignacio chanced a look behind him and saw Ganondorf storming down the hall after them, his dark armor aglow with black magic that tangibly swirled about his frame. The look in the Gerudo's eyes was a wild one, the dark man's plans having been swiftly crushed by the sudden appearance of the boy in green and the opposition he faced as a result, all this adding up to his current mad fervor it seemed.

The Hylian king knew his faults in this mess. He had failed to recognize Zelda's dreams as true visions of the future, but now he could not deny that what she had been trying to warn him of had been of the utmost importance. The green-clad boy from the forest was real, which meant her dreams—no—her visions had been quite authentic, just as her mother's had been. Ganondorf's plot was revealed, and the king stood as a fool amongst it all. He could barely believe he had allowed his goal for peace to cloud his better judgment concerning the Gerudo people.

His deceased wife, named Zelda as were all the eldest daughters born into the Royal Family, had been prone to strong visions as well, such as the ones their daughter had been having. How could he not have seen it? How could he have simply dismissed it with a wave of his hand, so nonchalantly, as if its mere mention were the buzzing of a fly in his ear?

The women of Hyrule's Royal Family, and in some cases the men, were strong in magical powers. His late wife was a direct descendant of that family, but, whereas he was not, it was customary that he take upon him the surname of Hyrule when he married into the Royal Family. It was required to keep the lineage alive, for a male heir to the throne had not been born in ages, not since the passing of Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule. If only he could have measured up to the greatness of the King of Red Lions. _He_ would not have blatantly disregarded any kind of prophetic vision, the prior king of Hyrule having been prone to them himself. It took a lot for Ignacio to believe his own wife when she began telling him of the coming war in Hyrule.

Ruhne continued to trudge forward, the king in tow, as if the menacing figure of Ganondorf charging down the hall toward them was of no consequence. As soon as the Gerudos had made their appearance in the Grand Audience Chamber, Ganondorf began ordering the ferocious women to do battle with any who opposed and to take hostages when possible. The boy in green and Impa had put up a fierce offensive, as had Ruhne's son Triyu, while the castle soldiers did their best to rally about them and aid in the fighting. Ruhne had taken it upon himself to personally protect the king, for the most fierce of the warrior women were making their way towards him. They had fled down an open corridor that led to the west tower, and now it seemed that Ganondorf had seen their escape and was following them.

Ignacio worried for the safety of his daughter, but the defense that Impa, Rauru, Triyu, and the mysterious child in green had put up to protect her reminded him that she had been left in safe hands.

They reached the stairwell that led up the western tower, and Ruhne lifted the king and draped him across his own, broad shoulders. "I apologize, your majesty," he said as he ran full-stride up the winding steps, seemingly negligent of the added weight of the king's body. "This indignity will make it easier to outrun Ganondorf."

The King said in reply, "Surely, Ruhne, this will tire you out before we reach the top. I am not as thin as I once was: years separate my present state from the youthful warrior you remember from the battlefield. Would I not just wear you down like this?"

"Nay, my lord," he replied. Ruhne's quick pace wasn't slackening in the slightest. "Truthfully, I am empowered beyond my normal strength. I cannot explain such an occurrence, but I believe it has something to do with this golden mark on my right hand, which has the appearance of the crest of the Royal Family. It appeared mere moments before the ceremony began. I meant to tell you of it, but I figured it could wait until after the proceedings."

"My friend, it appears that you have somehow been granted a gift by the Goddesses to aid us in this dark hour." Ignacio knew that it was a piece of the Triforce; the boy in Green had possessed a similar piece, as noted by Ganondorf. But how this would have come to be in Ruhne's possession was beyond his knowledge. He had always heard rumors that one would need to touch the sacred relic of the Goddesses before being granted it, along with the ability to wish for whatever one's heart desired. As far as he knew, Ruhne had never made a trip to the Sacred Realm, the Triforce's resting place.

Ruhne grunted in reply. "If that be the case, then I hope it is enough to make our stand against a Dark Arts user like Ganondorf."

The king shifted uneasily atop Ruhne's shoulders. "The Dark Arts, you say?"

"You knew of Ganondorf's powers, did you not?"

"Of course I knew, but he didn't go into much detail; he said that his magic training had been for the defense of his people."

They were about halfway up the stairs now. Ruhne spoke with ease despite the strain he was putting on himself. "He delved in the art of black magic during the years of peace following the war. It is said that two from his own tribe were already well-versed in it, and after his people's defeat, which was accomplished due to our joining in battle with the rest of Hyrule's races, he was approached to learn their ways. He accepted their offer, foreseeing that he might need an ace-in-the-hole if he were to ever attempt to invade Hyrule again. He managed to hide his intentions well with a petition for a true alliance between our nations. Who would have suspected anything with what he had to gain from joining with us?"

"Damn it, Ruhne. Damn the blind eyes of a foolish king. I was one to not suspect, as you say, for I saw the potential gain—I saw how our two nations would benefit. I knew he had undergone some more training among his people during the years of peace, but to become a pupil of the Dark Arts...never had I imagined such a thing, my friend." Ignacio was silent for a couple steps, then asked, "And what of your son? How do you think he will fare against Ganondorf's warriors?"

"I am very confident that he will be able to hold his own," he strongly affirmed. "Triyu is a well-trained swordsman, even for his age. He is also quick and agile, very nearly besting me in our sparring matches. I do not doubt that he will come out of this alive."

"Yes, he did have his way with quite a few of my guests today. Then again, all the best swordsmen are Hylians, are they not?"

Ruhne managed a chuckle, despite the direness of the situation. "So I hear, my lord. So I hear."

A grimness fell about them as they realized they were nearing the last of the winding stairs. A showdown with the Gerudo King was inevitable, and Ruhne still did not know the full potential of his divine gift. Ignacio only hoped that it would lend them the aid they needed to win this fight.

* * *

The Grand Audience Chamber was still in an uproar. Most of the Nobles had fled through the main double doors that served as an entrance from the Hyrule Castle Courtyard, but many were being dragged off by Gerudo women, held at sword point to keep them from escaping.

Link fought one Gerudo warrior after another. He swore his kill count had to be at least twenty by now. Link had long since sheathed his Kokiri sword and was using one of the downed women's scimitars, for it was more powerful and had a deadly-sharp edge. Having returned to the body of a ten-year-old caused the blade's weight to put him a bit off-balance, but it was the deadlier weapon of choice for the moment.

Never had he been in a battle such as this. Throughout his many travels he had mainly fought monsters, yet he had never been tasked to take another person's life. He was aware of the blood on his tunic and his face, most of which was not his own.

He spied a Gerudo picking up a small girl that looked to be his age, about to carry her off as a hostage. At first he thought the girl might be Zelda, but the princess was blond, whereas this particular one had light brown shoulder-length hair.

Link bounded over a few bodies—two castle soldiers and one Gerudo warrior—to reach his target. He didn't shout a warning; holding his weapon in both hands he cut across the back of the woman's legs through her thick desert pants, which caused her to immediately drop the girl. The Gerudo hit the ground with a wail, and the girl dropped unceremoniously to the ground. Link helped her to her feet and pulled her by the hand away from the wounded desert warrior.

The girl had been crying, but she smiled at Link when she got the chance. He noticed that her eyes were a vibrant green, so much so that they seemed to glow with a jade fire. Though she had pointed ears, she wasn't dressed like a Hylian, so Link decided she must be one of the foreign Nobles' daughters.

"What's your name?" he asked her, trying to make his voice heard over the shouts of fighting around them.

"Cytha," she replied as she rubbed a dainty hand over her eyes. "Are you going to save me and my dad?"

Link gave her a firm nod. "Yes, but you need to stay close by me. Where's your father?"

She looked around for a moment, trying to spot him among the chaos within the Grand Audience Chamber, then began to cry. "I...I don't see him."

Link silently cursed Ganondorf for bringing this upon Hyrule. The evil man from the desert was so preoccupied with conquest that he never thought of how his actions would affect the people whom he attacked, how it would bear on their families. He thought back to what Nabooru had related to him once about Ganondorf's nature, the reason for why she decided to become a lone wolf thief apart from her tribe of Gerudo warriors. Ganondorf was a thief, as was the profession of any Gerudo, but he didn't care if he killed in the process. Many of his victims had been women and children, not just men.

Link thought about what Ganondorf's hostile takeover of Hyrule Castle had looked like before time had been altered. He thought to himself, _Probably much the same, just not this early on, and I wasn't present for it then. I can't let history repeat itself this time. _

Link had only been present for the aftermath: Ganondorf had led an insurrection within Hyrule Castle and killed the king, which caused Impa to take up the young princess Zelda and flee with her on her personal, snow-white steed. Link remembered the look on Zelda's face as they took flight, for she and Impa had passed right by him on their way out the main gate to Hyrule Castle Town. Hot in pursuit and on his own horse—a pitch black stallion, its appearance reflecting perfectly his owner's dark heart—was Ganondorf himself, seething with murderous intent.

Breaking out of the dismal memory, Link looked for any sign of the Gerudo King but saw none. He couldn't very well go after him, for he and the others needed to secure their current location before moving on to another part of the castle. They needed to save as many people here as they could.

A moment later, two Gerudo women appeared in front of Link and Cytha. He readied his scimitar to do battle with the two, but was suddenly relieved of the necessity. Two identical silvery darts were suddenly lodged in their throats, and the two women collapsed in a heap right in front of him.

"It looked like you needed a break." The voice belonged to Impa, who strode right up next to Link, looking down at her two victims. Zelda followed close behind her. Amazingly there wasn't a single scratch on the the princess' Sheikah handmaid, even after all the intense fighting that had been going on. Zelda, as well, was unscathed by the fierce battle, but she had a look of fear in her youthful eyes.

"Thanks," muttered Link. He looked around to survey the battle. It had died down considerably from when it had started. The Gerudos had all been subdued by the castle soldiers for the most part, and when one defiant warrior woman would try to escape them, the soldiers wouldn't waste a single second and dispatch her with a well-placed spear thrust. Had it not been for Impa, Rauru's, Triyu's, and Link's help, as well as the aid of many other Nobles and citizens who chose to do stand against the Gerudos, the battle would have probably been futile, the castle turned over to Ganondorf's control.

The king and his bodyguard had long since departed, and Ganondorf, as he noted earlier, was nowhere to be found. "Where did Ganondorf go?" Link asked.

"He went after King Ignacio." This time the voice was Rauru's. As the older man strode up to the group, Link noticed that he had large gash on his forehead. "I saw him slip out after him and his bodyguard Ruhne. Soon after that, Triyu, Ruhne's son, followed after the Gerudo King."

"Ruhne," muttered Zelda. "He is quite possibly the best swordsman in the kingdom. Ganondorf will be hard-pressed to defeat him, especially since Triyu will soon come to his aid."

Link shook his head. "I don't think it would be that simple. In the future, when I last fought Ganondorf, he was imbued with the powers of the Triforce, and it was all I could do, even with the help of the Sages, to defeat him. But, even without the Triforce, he is still a formidable foe. He trained in the Dark Arts under the tutelage of ancient witches from the Haunted Wasteland."

"How do you know this?" asked Impa.

"I faced off against them once." Impa gave him a disbelieving look. "There's no mistaking their powers as the same that they bestowed upon their king."

"Do you mean the twin witches, Koume and Kotake?" Rauru shot at Link.

He gave a serious nod in return. "The same."

"And you survived?"

Link gave a half chuckle, remembering that everyone viewed him as a kid with no idea what his accomplishments had been; they were no doubt still getting used to the idea that he had once been an adult. "The details aren't important, but now you see the gravity of the situation. He's imbued himself with the knowledge of the Dark Arts, coupled with years of combat training. Skilled though Ruhne and his son might be, it may not even matter."

"Link's right," agreed Zelda, giving him an encouraging smile. She then turned back to the others with a look of seriousness. "My father is in grave danger, and even though Ruhne may protect him, it may not be enough."

"Also," Link added, "if his son Triyu has gone after them, there's no telling what might happen to a kid like him."

Impa snorted. "You're one to talk, shorty. What are you, eleven? Twelve?"

Rauru twitched his mustache. "You would be surprised at the prowess this young one possesses. During this battle I have watched him fight, and he has done quite well for himself. I would garner that Triyu, if the youth were to battle with him, would be pushed to his limits by this little swordsman. Link also has an edge—he was chosen by the Goddesses, thus being granted the Triforce of Courage, as it would seem."

Link smirked, beaming a bit at Rauru's vote of confidence in him. "As I was saying," he continued, "Triyu might be in danger, just like the King and Ruhne. I don't know how long they can hold off Ganondorf, so we need to go to their aid."

"Of course," agreed Rauru. "I will attend to the young maidens." He referred to Zelda and Cytha. "You and Impa should make haste to the west tower."

"The boy will slow me down," Impa said harshly. "Sheikah move faster alone, for we glide through the shadows. I will go on ahead and see what I can do before boy wonder arrives." Link scowled at Impa's condescension, but didn't protest her remark.

"I wish to come too," said Zelda, looking to Rauru. The Sage shook his head.

"To do so would be to underestimate your worth; there's no sense in putting you in harm's way. Stay with me and leave the fighting to Link and Impa."

"Farewell," the Sheikah quickly said just before breaking a small deku nut on the ground. In a flash of light she was gone, no doubt heading to the aid of her majesty and his companions. Link shrugged and darted for the west corridor, Rauru left to look after the others in the Grand Audience Chamber. Link looked back over his shoulder once before heading out. He could see that Zelda was looking after him, worry showing in her eyes. Link felt a small pang in his chest from knowing that Zelda would be leaving his sight again after all he had done to see her once more, but he knew she was safe in the care of Rauru. He was positive he would see her again, and he would see to it that they would stay together this time around.

* * *

Ruhne and Ignacio finally made it to the top steps of the west tower stairwell, and the king could see the approaching door from his position on his bodyguard's shoulders. It was made of a dark wood that was reinforced with iron casings done about its edges. The sounds of Ganondorf's forthcoming footsteps were getting louder, and his heavy breathing could be heard echoing through the narrow stairwell up to them.

Ruhne reached the door and extended his hand to the cast iron handle. Normally, the weight of the door would have been a hindrance for any normal man, but with the newly gained powers of the Triforce, the Elite Guard pulled it open with such tremendous force that it tore from its hinges and flew down the stairwell behind them. A cry of outrage ensued from Ganondorf, and a flash of violet light could be seen from around the bend, followed by a loud crashing sound. Ignacio thought maybe the Gerudo King had used one of his accursed dark spells to blast the door to smithereens.

Ruhne frowned. "Apologies, my king. I was hoping to bar us within this room to better guard you, but it looks like my newfound strength has ruined that plan."

The Elite Guard set the king back on his feet, and they both hurried into the room. "Do not fret," Ignacio told him, "for it seems that Ganondorf would have made short work of the door anyway." The chamber they were in was round and not overly large, but still it gave ample space for ranging about. It had been converted into a small armory, the perfect place for holding off a number of enemies. Swords and shields with the crest of the Royal Family adorned its walls, and against these on the floor were racks of various sorts of weapons: swords of varying length and weight, bludgeoning weapons such as morning stars and maces, and there were bows, the arrows of which were lying point-down in knee-high vases. There were also pieces of armor scattered throughout the room on tables and shelves, most of which were adorned also with the crest of the Royal Family engraved into the metal.

Ignacio chose for himself a medium-sized mace and grabbed a Hylian shield from off the wall, then took his place next to Ruhne just as Ganondorf burst through the room's doorway, visibly taken by a wild fury that made the king's heart skip a beat. He glanced at Ruhne and was doubly surprised at what he saw there; the scar-faced warrior's right hand was aglow, and that in turn seemed to be feeding its golden energy into the sword he was wielding, irradiating the small space around them.

Ganondorf stopped cold at the sight, a look of discouragement upon his dark face, then a bold sneer took its place. "You...you have a piece of the Triforce as well!"

"Whatever it is that I possess, I will use it to put you down once and for all," was Ruhne's reply.

"You wish to challenge me, Ruhne?" asked Ganondorf, contempt showing in his voice.

When Ruhne replied, it was like two voices at once, both amplified to a higher volume by an unseen power source. "If it means to protect Hyrule, then yes." The effect his voice had on Ganondorf's demeanor was instantaneous, the Gerudo King visibly shaken by the power held by Ruhne. "Is this the power that you sought, the sacred golden triangles of Hyrule's Royal Family? Ten years ago you first struck out against this land, causing the rest of its denizens to rise up in a civil war. It was because of _this_," Ruhne held up his sword arm, the symbol shining even through the thick leather of his gauntlet lighting up his foe's wrathful features, "that you began the strife that cost this land dearly. The scars on my face are a testament to your foul deeds!"

Ganondorf, despite the situation, allowed himself a dark chuckle. He spoke, his voice grating yet deep at the same time. "You accuse me of your nation's civil war?" He pounded a heavy fist against the door frame. "Don't you realize that the other races of this land sought after the Triforce just as much as I did? Any reformist or idealist would see the benefits of having an artifact that would allow one to rule. You hold a piece of that artifact now; don't you feel the power swelling within you? Do you fully comprehend what you could accomplish with what you have?"

Ruhne pointed his gleaming sword in Ganondorf's direction. "That is what makes us different. You seek power to become a tyrant, to force people under your rule, using whatever means that may entail. I, however, use the power I have to protect my nation, my way of life, and those I love. I have done so for years now, loyally and without ceasing, and I will continue to do so."

Ganondorf raised his own, thick blade, almost matching Ruhne's posture. "Then so be it. Be warned that I will not be holding back. Though you wield the powers of a god, you wouldn't know the first thing about harnessing them. That power belongs to me—I was born to possess it. It is my destiny."

"Your only destiny is to die today!" Ruhne's double voice served only to enrage the Gerudo male even further.

Ignacio stood back and watched in horror as the two clashed weapons. Ruhne wasn't quite as tall as Ganondorf, but despite his shortcomings in stature, the Elite Guard matched the Gerudo's attacks with a beautiful array of his own. They both appeared to fuel their strikes with their respective powers: Ruhne with the Triforce of Power, and Ganondorf with his black magic. The Gerudo's blade glowed with a hazy, purplish hue, and Ignacio's bodyguard's sword shone brilliantly.

Ganondorf's defense was almost perfect, his skill level seemingly much higher than the Hylian's, but, at the same time, Ruhne didn't appear to tire, so he kept up his barrage of thrusts and slashes from his Hylian-made sword. Ganondorf gritted his teeth, but held his ground. He surged forward with a sudden burst of dark power that seemed to blot out Ruhne's light from the king's view for a moment. He saw the Elite Guard's frame slam against a wooden rack of bows. The Gerudo took this opportunity and attempted to stab his opponent, but Ruhne was quick to recover and spun off the rack, away from the thrusting sword.

Ignacio silently watched in amazement at the speed and power that Ruhne presented in this fight. The king saw his friend move swiftly in place behind Ganodnorf's back, and as the Gerudo attempted to turn and face him he was met with the flash of Ruhne's weapon. The sword caught its target in the abdominal region, cutting through fabric and flesh, but only left a small gash for Ganondorf instantly moved a step back to avoid serious injury.

The Gerudo King recoiled, stunned by the blow, and was about to suffer another by the swift and deadly hand of Ruhne, had a certain distraction not occurred next.

A familiar voice rang out through the high tower's chamber. "Father, I'm here to help you!" Ignacio and Ruhne both turned to see Triyu standing in the doorway, blood splattered intermittently across his tunic and face, apparently not his own, and his sword was drawn, ready for more fighting.

"Triyu, get away from here!" shouted Ruhne urgently, his attention taken from Ganondorf for a brief moment. That instant of distraction was all the Gerudo King needed to make his next move.

To everyone's surprise, and before Ruhne could turn back to face his foe, Ganondorf stepped forward and quickly knocked the Elite Guard's blade askew, after which he deftly slashed his sword down against his opponent's hand. All it took was this one stroke to sever the hand that bore the symbol of the Triforce of Power.

Ruhne screamed, but that was soon drowned out by what sounded like a series of tremendous thunder claps. Next, everyone's vision was gone from the bright light that ensued within the chamber, issuing forth from what appeared to be Ruhne's own body.

_**Author's Note: **I hope you're all enjoying this very much so far. Leave a review and let me know what you think. Whether you like it or whether you feel the need to tear into me with a harsh critique, lemme have it._


End file.
